NOVEL NEXT 39.
39.
“Hello! I’ve heard a lot about you! It’s an honor to meet you!”
“Haha. Yes…”
Honor? Jian gave an awkward smile at the overly disciplined man.
Oh Seong-jun, an A-rank hunter who joined Dark Net a month ago, blushed to his ears as he saw Jian smiling with dimples showing.
Not only had he joined one of South Korea’s top guilds, but he was also seeing Jian in person, who was at the top in stealth and defense.
In fact, although Jian might not remember, Seong-jun had once been saved from death by Jian a few years ago.
Before awakening as a hunter, he thought he would die helplessly when he saw a monster charging at him. But as if by magic, a semi-transparent barrier appeared in front of him, saving him and his young sister.
From that day on, Seong-jun secretly waited for the day he could repay his debt to Jian. As if heaven had granted his wish, he was able to awaken as an A-rank hunter and made every effort to join the Dark Net guild to which Jian belonged.
Fearing Jian might feel burdened, he didn’t mention the past memory, but his eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at Jian.
“These days, all the new kids joining our guild only ask about you, Jian. They want to know when they can see the cafe owner.”
“…This is all because of you, hyung.”
Jian rolled his eyes at Hyunwoo, who spoke nonchalantly. He had resolved to live quietly, but changed his mind after Sehun was kidnapped.
He was still hiding that he was an S-rank hunter, but with Hyunwoo’s help, he registered as an A-rank hunter with the Hunter Management Bureau.
After that, unlike his previous secluded life, Jian joined the Dark Net guild and occasionally participated in dungeon raids.
As Dark Net grew rapidly and became one of the five representative guilds of South Korea, public interest in hunters belonging to Dark Net naturally increased.
Jian, who disliked receiving more attention than necessary, didn’t try to stand out, but Hyunwoo persuaded him. He said that having some fame would be more helpful in protecting Sehun.
The people targeting Sehun were still hiding in the shadows. Even though they knew Jian’s identity as Sehun’s protector, and even knew about Hyunwoo and Dark Net’s existence, their lack of movement was suspicious. The fact that even Dark Net’s intelligence couldn’t properly track them meant that the enemy’s power was not to be underestimated.
Eventually, after being persuaded by the eloquent Hyunwoo, Jian’s face became known not only to Dark Net guild members but also gradually to the public.
First for his appearance, then for his abilities, and finally for the taste of coffee at the cafe he ran.
Thanks to this, the small cafe was crowded with people every day. Even though he gradually raised the coffee prices, Jian drastically reduced the cafe’s operating hours due to the increasing number of customers.
Even though he didn’t engage in social media activities, sometimes fan letters and gifts were left at the cafe entrance.
“He’s a new member who joined recently, and he’s your fan, Jian. That’s why I brought him today. Since you might be working together soon, I thought it would be good for you to get familiar with each other.”
“You did well.”
Jian spoke in a resigned voice as he looked around the living room, which was unusually bustling. Fortunately, he had prepared plenty of food just in case.
He moved the sofa to one side and connected two large tables. Leo, Junggi, and Jihwan were already holding their chopsticks, salivating at the sight of food that looked like enough for 30 people.
When Jian brought another cushion and offered it to Seong-jun to sit on, a voice full of tension came back.
“Please sit here.”
“Please speak comfortably! I’m five years younger than you, Jian-nim!”
“…I’ll speak comfortably gradually.”
“Yes, sir!”
As this style was new to him, Jian was fidgeting with his earlobe when Leo, grinning as if he had found an interesting spectacle, asked:
“Jian, when are the kids coming?”
“They’ll be here soon. They said they were going to a PC room together after school today.”
“Sehun went to a PC room? With other kids?”
Leo questioned each part of Jian’s statement. When Jian frowned with a displeased face, Leo tilted his head.
“I mean, I wonder if it’s the Sehun I know. He’s your shadow, isn’t he?”
“Sehun has grown up now. He’s already seventeen.”
“His height surpassed yours long ago. Who’s the one still treating him like a ten-year-old kid?”
As there was nothing to refute to that, Jian avoided eye contact as he straightened up.
“Anyway, the kids will be here soon. It would be better if we all eat together, right?”
“That’s true, but… I’m so hungry…”
Ignoring Leo, who was looking at him with pitiful eyes, Jian headed to the kitchen. When he checked the time on his watch, it was already 6 PM.
There had been no further contact from Sehun since the message saying he was going to a PC room with friends. He unconsciously rubbed the quiet screen with his thumb.
It was just yesterday that he had wished for Sehun to make friends other than Hyunsu, but now his heart felt strangely heavy.
‘Is this the feeling of being left out that Hyunwoo hyung talked about?’
Perhaps it was something he should have accepted from the moment Sehun, who seemed like he would forever be a child in his arms, grew taller than him.
‘No, but couldn’t he at least contact me…’
He thought they would come back after about two hours of play, but it felt strange that they hadn’t returned even as dinner time approached.
He had also told Sehun in the morning that Hyunwoo and the Dark Net members would be coming for dinner tonight.
Just as he was thinking about calling now, he heard the front door opening.
“Oh? Everyone’s already here?”
“Oh, Hyunsu. You seem to have grown a bit taller since I last saw you.”
“Hehe. Can you tell? I grew 1 centimeter!”
“But next to Sehun, you still look like a little kid, hey.”
“Uncle Jihwan, that’s mean!”
As Hyunsu’s characteristic clear voice rang out, soon the awaited figure walked into the kitchen.
“Hyung, I’m home.”
Sehun trudged in with a tired face and hugged Jian’s waist. As Jian stroked the back of the child’s head resting on his shoulder as usual, he made eye contact with Seong-jun, whose eyes had widened.
‘Am I treating this grown-up kid too much like a child?’
Feeling embarrassed, Jian detached Sehun from his embrace. Sehun slightly frowned with one eye and grabbed Jian’s arm.
“Go wash your hands. Let’s eat. The hyungs have been waiting for you all to arrive.”
A faint sigh fell near his head, barely audible. After Sehun turned his back and disappeared into the room, Jian brought the tower of bowls and began scooping rice diligently.
“It feels like it’s been so long since we all gathered like this. I’m even a high school student now. Doesn’t my uniform look cool?”
Hyunsu, who had taken one of the empty seats, proudly showed off his school uniform with a bright expression. Then he looked at the uncles’ faces with an expectant expression.
“Is he asking for pocket money now?”
Leo, quick to catch on, whispered to Jihwan sitting next to him. Jihwan laughed heartily and took out his wallet, giving Hyunsu a thick wad of cash just as Sehun came out of the room, having changed into comfortable clothes.
“Sehun, you take this too.”
Sehun finished assessing the situation, seeing the yellow wad of money waving in the air and Hyunsu grinning. Since Jian’s birthday was coming up soon anyway, Sehun accepted the money without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
“Sehun is really mature.”
“Uncle, I’m mature too! I even do my own laundry now.”
“You just wash your underwear.”
Hyunwoo spoke incredulously at Hyunsu’s voice, which was crying out in indignation. Jian, who was walking over with a tray full of rice bowls, brightened up upon hearing this.
“Hyunsu, you wash your own underwear too? Sehun’s been doing that recently as well. I tell him not to, but he insists on doing it himself.”
Sehun abruptly stood up and took the tray Jian was holding. Hyunsu, who had been watching the situation, also helped Sehun place rice bowls in front of everyone.
Jian sat down in the last empty seat. It was next to Sehun. Across from him sat Seong-jun, still unfamiliar with this place, in a very stiff posture.
“You should pretend not to notice such things. But they are a bit late. I think I started washing my own underwear when I was fifteen.”
Jihwan, putting his thinned wallet back in his back pocket, gave Jian a reproachful look.
“What’s late?”
Jian looked puzzled, not understanding the meaning behind the words, and Jihwan clicked his tongue.
“How can our Jian be so clueless?”
Jian wanted to protest, feeling wronged, but everyone seemed to agree with Jihwan, so he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Let’s stop talking about this and eat!”
Worried that his secret might be exposed, Hyunsu changed the subject. Pointing at the seafood hot pot boiling in the center of the table, Jian quickly picked up the ladle at his words.
“That’s right. It tastes best when eaten before it gets cold.”
Everyone had arrived early and had been holding a vigil in front of the delicious food until Sehun and Hyunsu arrived.
Jian picked up the pre-placed soup bowls one by one and filled them generously with seafood. The first bowl was placed in front of Seong-jun.
“Eat a lot, Seong-jun-ssi.”
“Ah, yes. Th-thank you…”