“It’s not like you to think that way.”

Myung-hwon urgently wrapped his arms around Ju-eon’s shoulders. He could never have imagined Ju-eon would feel that way. Ju-eon wasn’t lagging behind. Not once had Myung-hwon ever moved forward without him. Every moment of Myung-hwon’s life without Ju-eon had been lived for Ju-eon’s safety.

If by any chance you returned, I wanted to give you the whole world. And now that you’ve come back as I hoped, it’s my turn to give you the world.

“You said you’d explain if I wanted you to, but that’s just because you don’t want me to misunderstand. It’s not because you actually want to talk about it right now, is it?”

He hit the nail on the head. Myung-hwon wanted to show Ju-eon only the best version of himself. He wanted Ju-eon to fall for him all over again. Somehow, he always felt pathetic only in front of Ju-eon.

“…I just need a little more time to prepare.”

“Then I’ll wait.”

Ju-eon stepped back smoothly and stood up. His simple and concise response, despite not knowing anything about the situation Myung-hwon had arranged, made Myung-hwon feel even more uneasy.

“…You’re not upset?”

“I’m a little upset.”

“……”

Ju-eon hugged Myung-hwon’s waist. Resting his head against his chest, he could feel the rapid beating of his heart.

“You’re going to be busy for a while anyway, and you just woke up. I don’t want to push you.”

Ju-eon ran his fingers through his hair. It was different from before. He thought of how they used to be. You, who couldn’t come even when I called, because you were too busy. And me, who couldn’t even say I was hurting, even when I was. I loved you, but we were young, and because we were young, we were clumsy.

‘Of course, I could be betrayed.’

Just like Yun-jae did. There’s a chance everything is a lie, and I’ve been played. But I couldn’t think of it in purely negative terms. I wanted to believe. Because the person was Yeo Myung-hwon.

If I had to be hurt by love, at least I wanted it to be with someone of my choosing. Their breakup hadn’t been entirely Myung-hwon’s fault. Ju-eon’s heart had wavered like a fragile branch in the wind. Faced with anxiety, he had run away.

Myung-hwon tried to keep his composure, but he buried Ju-eon’s face into his chest, unable to hide his emotions. The soft feel of the back of Ju-eon’s head stirred his heart.

“Just wait a little longer.”

“Okay.”

“When everything is over, then…”

Myung-hwon swallowed the rest of his words. He didn’t want to say it in such an unpolished way.

Ju-eon said he felt left behind, but that wasn’t true at all. Ju-eon had matured significantly, in a way that was completely different from before. The thought that this change might have been because of Yun-jae made his insides churn, but at the same time, he found himself falling for Ju-eon’s newfound strength all over again.

‘You’re a much better person than I am, so please, look at me.’

Resting his chin on the top of Ju-eon’s head, Myung-hwon silently wished.

There were things you came to understand only when you were apart. Myung-hwon had thought his life had become complete after leaving Yeo Ji-woong, but he was wrong. It was Ju-eon who had filled the incomplete and lacking parts of him, making him whole.

Perhaps our separation was necessary for a better future. The lost years were regrettable, but in the grand scheme of things, they weren’t a total loss. If I do well from now on, it’ll be enough.

As for guiding, the one who regretted it was me. Ambition was something I could crush at any time for your sake, but that wasn’t what we needed now.

**

“Seriously, isn’t this a bit much?”

Why was he the only one made to write a resume? It was a trivial matter, but Kang No-hun couldn’t stop obsessing over it, and it was driving him crazy.

“There must have been a reason.”

“I know that much.”

“Then that’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine! Reviewing a resume means the position isn’t guaranteed yet, doesn’t it?”

“Why don’t you hear them out first before deciding if it’s too much?”

Seo Yun-jin’s calm and mature response made him gape.

“When you put it that way, you make me sound petty, you know?”

“You don’t actually think you’re broad-minded, do you?”

Though his tone implied he wanted her to humor him, Seo Yun-jin instead pointed out that he did, in fact, have a bit of a narrow streak, which only further riled him up. Her wide-eyed, teasing expression was infuriating.

“By the way, Myung-hwon doesn’t want Ju-eon to be exposed, but what does Ju-eon think?”

“It’s the same on his side. It’s better if they’re on the same page.”

Both of them were well-acquainted with how things worked in this field. Given the timing, news that an unaffiliated third party had cleared a dungeon would undoubtedly ruffle the feathers of the higher-ups in the organization.

“Never mind the organization—Ju-eon seems to have his own reasons too.”

Thinking about the additional work this would bring, Kang No-hun sighed and rested his hands on his hips. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to go home for a while.

“I should at least get Myung-hwon to buy me an expensive meal.”

“Where are you going?”

“The bathroom?”

Creak.

As Kang No-hun opened the door and took a step into the hallway, he immediately backtracked, closing the door behind him.

“What’s wrong? You look like a broken robot.”

Seo Yun-jin teased him, not understanding what was happening. Kang No-hun stiffly turned his head toward her, his voice reluctant.

“Myung-hwon’s coming down the hallway, and he looks ready to kill someone.”

“Why?”

“Is he mad because I said I’d make him buy me an expensive meal? Or is it because of what I said earlier?”

Clutching the doorknob, Kang No-hun stomped his feet nervously.

“Do you think this is some kind of magic door that’ll keep him out if you close it?”

No sooner had Seo Yun-jin finished speaking than the door swung open.

Creak.

“Where’s Ju-eon?”

“He went back.”

“Really? I was actually going to treat him to a meal.”

Lost in thought as he walked down the hallway, Myung-hwon had paid no attention to the conversation happening beyond the hospital room door. Unable to make sense of Kang No-hun’s strange excuse, he stood in silence for a moment before getting straight to the point.

“The Allied Conference will proceed without delays. Our schedule will move forward as planned.”

Though he hadn’t specified the subject, Kang No-hun and Seo Yun-jin’s eyes lit up. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

It was time to straighten their hunched shoulders.

**

As Ju-eon put on his clothes, Gu-young, who had been lying under the covers scrolling through his phone, turned his gaze toward him.

“Hyung. Where are you going?”

“…Just outside for a bit.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“What?”

Gu-young, who had been lying down, jumped up and hurriedly threw on a jacket.

“What if you disappear again after going out like that? I want to finish my training certification without any issues, okay? They can only turn a blind eye to unauthorized absences so many times.”

At Gu-young’s rapid-fire words, Ju-eon couldn’t say anything. His track record was too colorful. Especially this time, since all of Ju-eon’s actions had been officially erased, he couldn’t even come up with a good excuse for his unauthorized absence. Gu-young’s reaction was entirely understandable.

“Still, you volunteered for the International Allied Conference because of me, and now you’re not going…”

“…Su-hui said she’d cover for me.”

“Even so.”

“This is easier.”

“Then change into something more comfortable. I’ll wait.”

“Really? I was feeling too gross to go out without showering.”

Gu-young quickly headed to the bathroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ju-eon habitually scrolled through his phone. He’d heard that preparations for the International Allied Conference were in full swing to ensure everything went smoothly. The conference was already happening tomorrow. It had been over two weeks since he last heard from Yeo Myung-hwon. Ju-eon hadn’t reached out either.

‘Having a famous boyfriend is convenient.’

Even without contacting him, he could just check the news to see Myung-hwon’s every move, down to what he wore that day and how much it cost. As Seo Yun-jin had said, the dungeon incident in the city had been credited entirely to Myung-hwon, and even after two weeks, his name remained a top headline.

Articles detailed what Myung-hwon was doing today and what he planned to do next.

“Clearing an S-class dungeon alone without casualties: What is Yeo Myung-hwon’s global value?”

“Privatized guild legalization: A benefit or a loss for the organization?”

Although the dungeon had initially been classified as A-class based on its mana concentration, the presence of a boss monster had led to its reclassification as S-class.

Currently, Yeo Myung-hwon was the most talked-about figure in South Korea. Not only domestically but internationally, cases of someone clearing an S-class dungeon alone were rare, especially when civilians were involved. The global interest was unprecedented.

“Will he tell me about this later?”

Ju-eon mumbled as he scrolled through his phone.

“Hyung, I’m ready.”

At Gu-young’s words, Ju-eon had no choice but to put his phone in his pocket. He tried to focus on Gu-young to distract himself, but even Gu-young’s thoughts were entirely consumed by the conference.

“They say if privatized guilds get legalized this time, there’ll be a flood of overseas scout offers. What do you think will happen?”

Gu-young murmured dreamily. Though he had settled for his current reality, it seemed he was open to the idea of moving elsewhere if a good offer came along.

“Would you join a privatized guild then?”

“They say moving early comes with a lot of risks.”

“We don’t know how it’ll turn out yet.”

“South Korea needs to catch up with the big trends. Even if the bill doesn’t pass this time, it’ll happen within a few years. But I think it will pass. They say the number of foreign journalists this time is unprecedented.”

“Really? Su-hui must be really busy. Su-hui and…”

Ju-eon glanced at Gu-young, gauging his reaction. The only reason Gu-young wasn’t assisting with the conference was entirely because of Ju-eon.