Chapter 50
"Ugh, it's hot."
I wiped away the sticky sweat and looked down at Baek Hamin clinging to my side. I don't understand why he sleeps here when he has his own room. It's not winter—it's the dead of summer, and he's stuck to me like glue.
Peeling Baek Hamin off, I sat up and stared at the child's chubby cheeks. What on earth is he doing late into the night that he groans every morning? He was fine when he barged into my room before 6 AM demanding breakfast.
He definitely goes to sleep at 9 PM.... Frowning, I activated the temperature artifact and covered Baek Hamin with a blanket. Then I tried to go outside to get some water....
Click.
I stared at the door that wouldn't open and squeezed my eyes shut. How can a single day just pass normally? Sighing, I put all my strength into pushing the door open. Once it barely opened about a handspan, I shoved my hand through the gap and shook my bracelet frantically.
[Command of the Heavens]
"Mmm..."
"If you're awake, move."
I don't know why I have to suffer like this on a weekend morning. I threw the door open and glared at Baek Eunseong. Looking like he had clearly just woken up, Baek Eunseong glanced around with an expression that said he didn't know why he was here.
"Go sleep in your own room."
I told the still-sleepy, stumbling Baek Eunseong where the bedroom was. Worried he might not know, I kindly even called Ashil to show him the way. Seriously, I don't understand why he sleeps in front of someone else's room every night when he has a perfectly fine room of his own.
I clicked my tongue at Baek Eunseong as he climbed the stairs with an awkward expression, then headed to the kitchen.
"Hello."
"Did you sleep well, Hunter Seong Dohyun?"
After exchanging greetings with Choi Jaegun, I was drinking water and asking about today's menu when—
"Uncle?!"
A scream that seemed ready to tear through the air rang out, along with the sound of footsteps pattering rapidly. At the same time, vines wrapping around my ankle yanked me hard.
"Please, can't you just wake up normally?"
Hanging upside down in midair in an instant, I sighed as I looked at the tearful Baek Hamin. Ha, it was better when he used to pry my eyelids open to wake me. I don't know what this is every morning. When the vines finally loosened and I barely managed to stand on the floor, Baek Hamin threw himself into my arms.
Perhaps he had a nightmare—the child's forehead was covered in cold sweat. I started to ask what kind of dream he had, but bit my lip and held back. Rather than provoking trauma I couldn't even treat, it would be better to lighten the mood through casual conversation.
"They said breakfast is samgyetang today."
"Samgyetang?"
As expected, the sniffling Baek Hamin raised his head to check the dining table. Thankfully, Choi Jaegun had set out the food in a more appetizing arrangement than usual, drawing Baek Hamin's interest.
"Can I eat it right now?"
"Of course."
"Leave Pani behind."
At the instruction to leave Pani behind, Baek Hamin tugged at my pajamas and ran to the Dodo room. Then he sat Pani in the giant dollhouse and re-explained the layout of 'Pani's House' that he had already heard about before. Thanks to that, though I had definitely sat down at the table less than 10 minutes after waking up, it was much later before I could finally pick at the samgyetang that had grown cold and stiff.
To be honest, I could have coaxed and cajoled Baek Hamin into eating first. I could feel Choi Jaegun's gaze saying he truly didn't understand, but it couldn't be helped. Did he think I didn't want to eat warm samgyetang? But if I got used to Choi Jaegun's cooking, later when I returned to my original world, I might get dragged back here the moment I thought 'I want to eat Hunter Choi Jaegun's food...' without even the satisfaction of having returned.
Actually, I had planned to just eat rice with kimchi the whole time, but asking for my food to be prepared separately every meal was fine for a day or two, but eventually felt like a nuisance. So I just started eating whatever was served. As tastelessly as possible, that is.
I dumped a load of salt into the cold, congealed samgyetang, turning it into salt soup, and began eating slowly, one bite at a time.
"Uncle, what are we doing today?"
I was pulling Baek Hamin's bowl toward me and tearing off the tenderly cooked chicken leg when I looked up. Baek Eunseong had come down at some point and was approaching the table looking perfectly put together.
"Ask your uncle. I have business today."
"Where are you going?"
My voice was still husky with sleep, yet Baek Eunseong asked me in a smooth, honeyed voice as he always did in the mornings. I pondered for a moment before answering.
"The mart."
"Can Hamin come too?"
"It's on the way, so I'll give you a ride."
"Whatever."
As I nodded, Baek Hamin began wielding his spoon with battle-like intensity. I emptied my bowl not long after and rose from my seat. Then, while the two Baeks built towers out of chicken bones, I looked around my empty room.
Baek Eunseong had provided basic supplies, and Baek Jiseong had excavated my belongings from the rubble of my house and brought them over, but as the seasons changed, the things I needed to buy increased. Buying things one by one whenever something was needed was quietly annoying, so I roughly drafted a list in my head to take care of it all at once.
When I grabbed my hat and came out, Baek Eunseong was sitting on the sofa, changed and ready.
A cardigan in this weather? Isn't he hot? I scanned him up and down, then grabbed Baek Hamin who was running to the entrance with his Pani bag and applied sunscreen on him.
After pressing a hat onto Baek Hamin's head, I got into the car whose door was opened by Baek Eunseong's secretary who bowed politely.
Hmm. It feels strange.
Until recently, someone who used to throw cold glares at me was being friendly—it was awkward no matter how many times I experienced it. And the strangest of all was definitely Baek Eunseong. Even if I could suppress his curse, suddenly? He had changed his attitude so quickly it made me wonder.
"Please drop me off up ahead."
It's strange, strange—thinking about it made being in the same space as Baek Eunseong feel weird, so I wanted to get out of the car quickly. When I pointed to the roadside, the secretary stopped the car at an odd spot.
"I'll get out first. Just a moment."
From my seat on the road side, I couldn't open the door—Baek Eunseong had to get out first for me to get out. Looking puzzled at the secretary who kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror, I took Baek Hamin's hand and stepped out of the car. Then, with the sound of the door slamming shut, the car pulled away.
What? They're not taking Baek Eunseong?
"...What are you doing?"
"I have some business at the mart too."
"You?"
I didn't even know what scheme he was pulling now—it was so absurd I couldn't even laugh. As I walked to the mart, Baek Eunseong and I faced off in silence, while Baek Hamin unfolded a flyer stuck next to the entrance.
"Uncle! Let's buy bananas!"
Then he took out a colored pencil from his bag and firmly drew circles around the items he wanted. At those determined little fingers, I pulled out a cart and sat the child in it. Next, I dragged Baek Eunseong who was looking around with a face that clearly showed this was his first time in a mart, and pulled my hat down low.
* * *
Title: [Anonymous] What the hell is up with Seong Eop-eop and Baek Eunseong?
They came to the mart together and Baek Hamin is even with them
Comments (99+)
—What! Baby Hamin is there too?!
—Our baby Hamin ㅠㅠ Finally living outside ㅠㅠ
—How is he in person ㅠㅠ? Cute right ㅠㅠ? Obviously cute!!
—Wouldn't it be better to calm down a bit? No matter if they're civilians, is it necessary to gawk this much?
└What? Don't you know the moment you awaken as a Hunter you become a celivilian?
└Sorry but what's a celivilian?
└Celebrity + civilian
└Oh thanks
└No, who doesn't know you become a celivilian? But tracking their every move seems a bit much
└Yeah
└Just skip it
└Who asked you ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
—No but why is their relationship so good?? Doing grocery shopping together on the weekend?
—It's almost like....
└What?
└No it was just a comment saying they look good together
Title: [Anonymous] I'm the witness who posted earlier, I can't tell if they're close or not
Reposting because it was deleted
If you're going to report it, at least tell me first....
Comments (99+)
—No but this is the first time I've heard of a Hunter personally doing grocery shopping
└First time in my life hearing this too
└Seems like they go often? Sightings popped up last time too
└[Witness]: Anyway Seong Eop-eop? Seems to be the one doing the shopping. Baek Eunseong just followed along since he had business nearby.
└[Witness]: Seeing him dress up in a cardigan instead of his usual mantle (read: leather) makes me want to cry ㅠㅠ
└Dressed up? Baek Eunseong?
└Yeah he really dressed up, even styled his hair.
└Crazy, the guy who only wears basic suits is dressing up!!
└[Witness]: But the funny thing is baby Hamin is so determined... clutching the flyer and going let's go here let's go there, that's our baby Hamin ㅠㅠ
—Crazy baby Hamin ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
—Baby Hamin noona will sweep the whole mart for you ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
—Baby Hamin ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Why does being called determined sound so sad ㅠㅠ
—Right ㅠㅠ Our baby Hamin should grow up only receiving love ㅠㅠ
—So what did they buy? I'm suddenly curious since a Hunter came to the mart....
└[Witness]: Seong Eop-eop glares so intensely every time our eyes meet so I'm pretending to work while glancing over... Seems like Seong Eop-eop is the one doing the shopping but...?
└Why?
└[Witness]: No, when Seong Dohyun puts something in, Baek Eunseong takes it out.
└Huh?
└Wow fuck
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Wait hold on
—Ah I need to drink some cold water and come to my senses
└Put some ice in mine too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
—What are they even talking about right now
└222 I want to know too
└You don't need to know
* * *
"What are you doing."
"Shopping."
I watched Baek Eunseong return the items in the cart to the shelf and stood there with a tilt of my head. Baek Hamin was also looking at his uncle with an expression that said he didn't understand.
"I've memorized everything you need."
"So?"
"I'll buy them for you somewhere else, so um...."
Baek Eunseong looked down at the item with a large discount sticker, then furrowed his brow and laughed.
"You should have told me earlier if you needed something."
"I told you. Dungeon byproducts."
"No, not just things like that...."
As if choosing his words carefully, his lips moved before he shook his head as if it was nothing. After arguing with Baek Eunseong for a long time as he did the pointless act of putting every item I picked back in its place, it was time to move to pick out gummy worms.
The moment I sensed something suspicious, Baek Eunseong raised his head at the same time as me, and I saw him grit his teeth. I also clicked my tongue and pulled Baek Hamin out of the cart seat. As I scooped the child up, Baek Eunseong shoved the cart into a corner and suddenly grabbed my wrist.
"What?"
"Just a moment."
The moment I tried to push away Baek Eunseong who was pulling me by the shoulder, my field of vision suddenly dropped. I looked around at the dark surroundings and belatedly realized I was moving underground. Wait, if he has this kind of transportation ability, why does he ride around in a car?
The moment I furrowed my brow in confusion, I saw the ground crack open.
Arriving in front of Baek Eunseong's house in an instant, I followed Ashil who pointed toward the first floor, ran over, and threw the front door open roughly.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Only Yang Jihwan stood inside. And next to him, I confirmed that the golem that had definitely been guarding my door was completely destroyed. And the room inside, turned into a complete mess.
Wow, Yang Jihwan. I knew he wouldn't stay quiet, but he pulled off something this cute?