Chapter 45
"Jihwan...."
"Hold on."
Raising my hand to cut off Baek Eunseong, I gently patted Baek Hamin's back and asked.
"Baek Hamin, can you explain what happened that day?"
At my words, the child nodded despite sniffling. What a brave kid. Baek Hamin fidgeted as if trying to get the words right, then opened his mouth before stopping and looking up at me with tearful eyes.
"Uncle."
"What."
"You'll believe me, right?"
What does this mean? As I stared in bewilderment, Baek Hamin met my gaze with green eyes packed full of trust. Then he whipped his head around to glare at Yang Jihwan with white-hot eyes before burrowing back into me and speaking in a voice dripping with grievance.
"Hic, nobody, hic, believed Hamin, sob—"
To summarize his words that were 50% air, 50% crying, and 50% sound—totaling 150%—it went like this:
1. After academy classes ended, while waiting for the car, someone told him Uncle Eunseong had come. The Baekwoo people all knew they'd gone to the dungeon so they didn't believe it and ran, but then someone suddenly attacked him.
2. He scattered morning glory seeds begging anyone to save him! Then Uncle Dohyeon appeared. Really, really coolly... Uncle Dohyeon who took down the kidnapper also woke up the fallen security uncles and aunties.
3. He thought he could go home like that, but Uncle Jihwan blocked him from entering. He wanted to hide somewhere safe quickly because he was so scared, but they called him a fake without even listening to him.
4. Everyone called him a fake. Even some old man scoffed at Hamin—probably the Association President.
5. The only person who believed Hamin was Hamin was Uncle Dohyeon. Uncle....
"Alright, that's enough."
"Uncle Dohyeon is not a bad person, mmph, he's not, mmph!"
I covered the mouth of the shrilly shouting Baek Hamin and didn't engage further with the sobbing child. I had just picked him up while passing by. Hearing myself described as a hero from a fairy tale just for taking him home and making him a few meals was unbearably embarrassing.
"You heard that, right?"
I asked Yang Jihwan as if to make a point, then stood up holding Baek Hamin who was still panting from distress. Thanks to Baek Hamin who cried his eyes out proving my innocence, a confident smile hung on my lips.
"And if I had actually intended to kidnap him... do you think I would've been caught this easily by you people?"
Don't they think too little of me? I shrugged at Yang Jihwan and headed to the kitchen with the whining Baek Hamin in my arms.
"Are you hungry?"
"Hic, uhh... yeah."
His throat must have been parched, as Baek Hamin drank two whole cups of water before using the tissues I handed his small hands to wipe his tear-streaked face. I cleaned off the tissues stuck to the child's cheeks and looked over at Baek Eunseong still standing before the sofa and the frozen Yang Jihwan.
Baek Hamin and I had set the stage, so Baek Eunseong would handle things from here, right?
Well, if it doesn't work out, I can always just flip the board.
"Let's... move somewhere else."
Perhaps bothered by the gazes of the children and me, Baek Eunseong told Yang Jihwan to follow and went up to the second floor. I watched Yang Jihwan hesitating and unable to follow right away, then turned my gaze and opened the refrigerator door.
"Oh."
Very... sparkling. So this is why Baek Eunseong looked at my refrigerator and asked what I lived on. Feeling a bit hungry, I reached for eggs to make soy sauce egg rice when I sensed a presence beside me.
"Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
Choi Jaegeun, wearing a benevolent smile, suddenly poked his head in. Contrary to his expression, an extraordinary energy flowed from his entire body. When I shook my head and stepped aside from the refrigerator, Choi Jaegeun finally suppressed his killing intent and stood with his back to the refrigerator like a gatekeeper, smiling warmly.
'Note to self... don't touch the refrigerator carelessly.'
I swallowed dryly, then looked at Baek Hamin who was still drinking another glass of water, his throat apparently still burning.
"Um, could you make French toast for me?"
"French toast, you say. Would you mind waiting a moment?"
After sitting at the dining table as Choi Jaegeun guided, Baek Hamin finally set down his cup and let out a light sigh. Thinking about how much that tiny thing must have suffered made me feel inexplicably tender.
Yang Jihwan, that bastard. He'll live a long, miserable life. Just as I was cursing Yang Jihwan with every insult I could think of, I saw Choi Jaegeun approaching lightly with a plate in hand, apparently finished cooking. He gently set the plate down on the table.
Looking at the perfectly toasted bread without a single burn mark, admiration naturally spilled out. I thanked Choi Jaegeun who smiled proudly, then handed Baek Hamin a knife and fork. But Baek Hamin, who I expected to dive right in and devour the bread, only gripped the fork tightly without moving.
"Why? Does your throat hurt?"
"No..."
The beautifully toasted bread would melt the moment it entered your mouth—it was impossible for it to not be delicious. Moreover, Baek Hamin liked this bread, so it wasn't that he disliked it.
Baek Hamin poked holes in the bread with his fork, just making punctures, then glanced at me under my staring gaze. Only then did he pick up one small piece and put it in his mouth.
"If you don't want to eat, don't force yourself."
"No... it's delicious."
Then why is he eating like that? When I made it, he looked ready to chew up the plate too.
Well, he cried so much, so of course he'd have no appetite. Thinking his throat might still hurt, I poured water and handed it to him when Yang Jiyul, who had come back inside at some point, approached the dining table hesitantly. I was on guard, wondering if this one was the same as his brother.
"Hey... Baek Hamin."
"...Yeah."
"I'm sorry... I didn't know my brother said those things to you."
"It's okay. I'm sorry too for suddenly yelling."
Good heavens, what a heartwarming sight.
I inwardly clapped as I watched Yang Jiyul awkwardly apologizing and Baek Hamin sniffling while patting the seat next to him. Baek Hamin offered his bread to Yang Jiyul to eat together, and the two who were awkwardly picking at the bread soon started tossing pieces into each other's mouths and playing as if nothing had happened.
In contrast to the bright children, the adults were troubled. I adjusted my "Day Words, Night Words" skill and focused on the conversation between Baek Eunseong and Yang Jihwan that drifted in snippets.
"...It's Seong Dohyeon."
What about it? Why is my name coming up right from the start?
"Don't speak carelessly. He's the benefactor who saved Hamin."
"Don't you remember how Seong Dohyeon has been acting all this time? If he really came in with some ulterior motive, what are you going to do then?"
"...Jihwan. Do you think I'd let Hunter Seong Dohyeon into the house without that much consideration? I do think before I act."
"No, that's not what I mean."
"And, will you let me know immediately if anything happens from now on? Even if it's related to Hunter Seong Dohyeon."
"Even Hunter Seong Dohyeon's matters...?"
"Yeah. I'm the Vice Guild Master in name; would it do for me to not know what's going on?"
"...Yeah."
What? Is this it? They heard everything, including Baek Hamin's account, and not even a single disciplinary action?
Wow, Baek Eunseong, seriously. If he even did half of what he does for me. That's why nobodies like Yang Jihwan think they're something and act up!
"Um... should I leave the medicine?"
"Ah, thanks. I'll take it tomorrow morning."
Ugh. It's because of the medicine.
There was a reason Baek Eunseong couldn't kick Yang Jihwan out even when he acted like that. For Baek Eunseong who could only escape the pain by suppressing the curse with medicine, he had no choice but to tolerate Yang Jihwan no matter how recklessly he behaved.
No, then just bring in another pharmacist Hunter to make the medicine! Why just sit there watching that infuriating sight!
Clicking my tongue in frustration that made my chest feel like it would burst, I scooped up Baek Hamin who reached his arms out to me saying he'd finished his bread. Heading to the bathroom as I was, I let out a hollow laugh as I watched Baek Eunseong's golems patting the wall that had cracked from the power Baek Eunseong had used earlier.
A house built that way would certainly be sturdy. Even if a break occurred, there'd be no risk of collapse.
I put a toothbrush in the mouth of Baek Hamin who kept yawning, saying he was sleepy with his eyes swollen, then looked up at the second floor.
Yang Jihwan, slowly coming down the stairs, broke into a quick trot when our eyes met. Standing at an angle to receive him, I looked down at Yang Jihwan as he bowed deeply.
"Earlier..."
"Don't apologize."
"Ah, thank you for forgiving..."
"I'm not accepting your apology."
I stared at Yang Jihwan with the coldest expression I could muster. It seemed Baek Eunseong had told him to apologize, but I'd made up my mind a long time ago. Even if it was petty and petty, I wouldn't accept this person's apology.
And if he was going to apologize, he should do it sincerely like Yang Jiyul. I absolutely despised people who gave half-hearted apologies just to get past the situation, then acted like "I apologized, so what's your problem?" making me out to be the petty one. Yang Jihwan was exactly that type without even needing to look.
I shifted my gaze from the bewildered Yang Jihwan to Baek Eunseong coming down the stairs. Despite having every right to be thoroughly annoyed, not a trace of it showed on Baek Eunseong's face; instead, his usual gentle smile was there. What a pushover bastard.
Whether Baek Eunseong lived as a pushover or not was none of my business, but he shouldn't expect me to go soft just because he did.
"I'll remember this for a long time, Hunter Yang Jihwan."