EFME 54

Sunyul woke up and opened his eyes.

Muyoung, who had been with him before he fell asleep, was no longer by his side. Sunyul stared at the empty space for a moment, then sat up. He didn’t want to get up, but he couldn’t just stay in someone else’s room forever.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, knock knock.

Still half-asleep, Sunyul got out of bed and opened the door without much thought.

Standing in front of the door was Jaehoon. Jaehoon’s eyes widened as he encountered Sunyul in this unexpected place.

“Why are you coming out of here?”

“Uh, just because.”

It was embarrassing to say he’d begged to sleep together. Sunyul blushed and quickly fled. Jaehoon stood frozen, in complete shock.

For the fastidious Muyoung to let someone else into his bed, no matter how you looked at it, this was…

‘That’s what it is, that.’

In the first place, it was strange from the moment he let Sunyul into his tent, even if it was a dungeon. But still.

‘Are they really in that kind of relationship…’

He was just about to tell him to kick out such a suspicious guy immediately.

Considering Muyoung’s personality, it was unlikely he would have taken it lightly. That meant he definitely had feelings for him, but he didn’t know why the person he’d opened his heart to after so many years was someone as complicated as Sunyul.

The fact that he was a man quickly evaporated in the face of a bigger problem. Before getting into that, they didn’t even know if he was human or not.

Even if he was human, isn’t the age gap too big? If he’s not human, he’s not actually a few hundred years old with that appearance, is he?

Jaehoon, who had been half-escaping from reality, sighed.

He didn’t really think Sunyyul was a harmful being to humans. If he was, he would have attacked people, not monsters. Honestly, this whole incident felt very unfair.

But public opinion was too bad. To make matters worse, the rumor that he was related to the Fissure had come out.

It wasn’t just anything, it was the Fissure. The Fissure that had caused an enormous number of casualties all over the world.

As Valeria’s statement was brought up, it became noisy overseas as well. Of course, not everyone labeled Sunyul as a bad thing, but the critical public opinion was louder. No matter how great Muyoung was, he couldn’t keep holding out.

Just as Jaehoon was deep in thought, Muyoung came out of the bathroom. Jaehoon felt sorry for Muyoung, who had chosen a difficult path, and looked at him with pity.

“Hey, you…”

“What.”

“Never mind. I’m on your side.”

Even if he loved a non-human being, even if that being was the same gender, no matter how big the age gap was. Jaehoon was on Muyoung’s side.

Muyoung looked like he had no idea what was going on. Jaehoon sighed and decided to keep Muyoung’s secret. He feigned ignorance and changed the subject.

“What are you going to do today?”

“I have to go to work.”

At Muyoung’s calm reply, Jaehoon cautiously eyed him.

“…Why don’t you take the day off today?”

“I was thinking of taking a break, but… they said someone from the Ability Management Office is coming.”

“It’s going to be chaotic for a while.”

Muyoung nodded. He had been prepared for it.

It was just as Jaehoon had said. On the way to the guild, a considerable number of protestors had gathered in front of the Cheongyeon Guild.

As soon as he saw it, Sunyul’s face darkened. There was only one reason why people had gathered.

“People are more on edge because the 6th anniversary of the Fissure is coming soon.”

Muyoung’s words couldn’t comfort Sunyul. It was Sunyul who had made them edgy.

‘If I had just stayed quiet, this wouldn’t have happened.’

But if he had, the person who had fallen then might have been eaten by the monster. Even if he could turn back time, Sunyul probably wouldn’t have been able to ignore that person. Even if it meant facing a worse outcome than this.

Sunyul, wrapped in complicated thoughts, headed for the guild master’s office.

“Guild Master-nim, Hunter Lee Bada-nim is waiting.”

Hearing the secretary’s words, Sunyul became somewhat nervous. He opened the door and went inside the guild master’s office. Sunyul’s and Bada’s eyes met.

Frowning, Bada avoided Sunyul’s gaze. He hadn’t expected to be ignored by someone he knew, but facing it in reality was still painful.

In the awkward atmosphere, Muyoung sighed.

“For now… go inside.”

“…Yes.”

Sunyul glanced at Bada and went into the break room. His mood was utterly gloomy. It seemed he needed to focus on something to distract himself. He couldn’t keep relying on Muyoung.

Looking around, Sunyul picked up his knitting. The new scarf was almost finished. The quality was so high that even Jaehoon wouldn’t be able to call it shoddy.

Planning to finish it this time, Sunyul focused intently. He was knitting for a while when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it might be Muyoung, Sunyul opened the door.

Unexpectedly, it was Dakyung standing in front of the door.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Dakyung’s attitude was no different from before. Sunyul just blinked in surprise.

“Are you not okay? Are you sick somewhere?”

“…”

“Guild Master-nim, I think Sunyul hyung is sick somewhere!”

“No, I’m fine. I’m okay!”

Sunyul came to his senses and spoke urgently. But Muyoung was already getting up from his seat and approaching Sunyul. Sunyul had to do his utmost to prove he was perfectly fine before he could send Muyoung back.

Usually, Dakyung would have dragged Sunyul out to play, but today he quietly came into the break room.

“What were you doing?”

“…Knitting.”

“Oh… is that a scarf? You’re good at it.”

“Thanks.”

Sunyul replied without much energy. But Dakyung, as if he had taken all of Sunyul’s energy, smiled brightly and examined the scarf.

“Are you by any chance giving it to the Guild Master-nim?”

“How did you know?”

“A man’s intuition.”

Sunyyul let out a small laugh, psst, at Dakyung’s silly words. At the same time, he found it quite amazing that Dakyung had come to see him and was chatting as if nothing had happened.

“Is it okay for you to be here?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Everyone’s avoiding me.”

“Hmm… you don’t seem like a strange person, hyung. I haven’t known you for long, but strangely, I feel like I have to trust you? I trust you, hyung.”

Dakyung said it as if it were no big deal. At those words, Sunyul felt a twinge in his heart.

“…Thank you.”

“Are you moved?”

“Yeah.”

“Hee hee.”

Dakyung smiled and sat on the sofa diagonal to Sunyul.

“Anyone who knows you will believe you, hyung.”

“…Yeah. I hope so.”

He thought of Bada’s hesitant expression, and his heart felt a little heavy.

Sunyul thought he had answered calmly, but it was obvious that something had happened. Dakyung’s face quickly became serious.

“Did someone give you shit, hyung?”

“Huh? No, it’s not like that.”

“Was it Jaehoon hyung?”

“No.”

“Jihyun noona?”

“I said no.”

“Was it Bada hyung?”

“No.”

“It was Bada hyung.”

“…”

How on earth does he know.

For Sunyul, who didn’t know that his expression was so easy to read, it was truly incomprehensible.

“Bada hyung isn’t someone who cares about things like that… He’s probably just awkward for a moment. He’ll be fine soon?”

At Dakyung’s words of earnest comfort after deep thought, Sunyul smiled slightly. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Bada… and it was enough that Dakyung was taking his side.

“It doesn’t matter even if he doesn’t. It’s understandable to be wary.”

“No, don’t say that… wait a minute, hyung.”

Dakyung, frowning deeply, made a call somewhere. Then, as soon as the other person answered, he abruptly got angry.

“Hyung! Did you give Sunyul hyung shit?!”

The person on the other end was none other than Bada. Sunyul was startled and tried to snatch the phone, but Dakyung was resolute.

“You shouldn’t be like that, hyung. Sunyul hyung isn’t the kind of person to hurt people.”

Bada said something over the receiver. A moment later, Dakyung switched the call to speaker mode so Sunyul could hear too.

─Hey, I wasn’t staring at you because I find you unpleasant. I just… I was worried about something else, so I avoided your gaze.

“What something else.”

─There’s something.

“Why do you stare at people in a way that makes them misunderstand?”

─I’m sorry, okay.

Bada hung up the phone. Maybe he had only apologized because Dakyung called him, but…

“Be confident, hyung.”

“Yeah…”

“It’s not like you hurt anyone; you helped someone. And well… there are sometimes skills that let you talk to monsters.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it’s all understandable. Everyone seems too worked up.”

After Muyoung, Dakyung also spoke as if it were no big deal… it was a little comforting.

Dakyung talked with Sunyul a little more before leaving. It seemed he had something to do today but had made time to stop by. How grateful.

Left alone, Sunyul was knitting when he turned on the TV. He intended to knit while it was on. He was flipping through the channels when he came across one talking about the Fissure.

There were just over ten days left until the 6th anniversary of the Fissure incident. After a segment looking back at that time, a panelist and the host started talking about Sunyul.

『—I-21, yes. It’s a hot topic right now. The Ability Management Office is insisting that I-21 should be managed more strictly. What are your thoughts, Professor?

—I also agree with the Ability Management Office’s assertion. Of course, I-21 is classified as an item, and the ownership of an item belongs to its owner in the system, but… this is not a normal item. In the first place, it’s closer to a living being, isn’t it? A living being.

—That’s right, it looks like a living person to anyone.

—The reason item ownership belongs to the owner is that the person using the item can control it. But I-21 is not like that. It thinks with free will. We don’t know what it will think, how it will act out. Perfect management is impossible, so how can we leave it to just one individual?

—That’s true. The problem of management.

—I believe the Ability Management Office must somehow take over the ownership. If transferring ownership is impossible, then at the very least, the Ability Management Office should be in charge of its management.

—Do you think it’s not right for the Cheongyeon Guild Master to manage it?

—Yes. Even in this situation, isn’t he just protecting I-21? Even when the public is anxious.

—Many people are anxious. A lot of protestors have gathered in front of the Cheongyeon Guild as well.

—That’s right. Aren’t they protesting more because it seems the Cheongyeon Guild Master can’t make a rational judgment? I’m not trying to diminish the achievements of the Cheongyeon Guild Master, Hunter Muyoung. He is a hunter that everyone acknowledges, the best in Korea, no, the world. But anyone can make a mistake. In this matter, I believe Hunter Muyoung has made a mistake. I believe it is right for him to admit his mistake and hand over the management.

—If the Ability Management Office were to take him in, how should he be managed?

—He must be managed strictly. In a state of complete subjugation.

—That won’t be easy.

—I believe research must proceed quickly. Don’t they say if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles? We must grasp everything from one to ten, so that there is nothing we don’t know.』

He was being treated as an outright monster. Sunyul watched the discussion quietly for a while, then turned it off. It was fine when they talked about him, but it was hard to watch them criticize Muyoung.

Sunyul put down his knitting and curled up on the sofa.

Before long, sleepiness came, and he closed his eyes just like that.