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“Kiiiik! Kik!”
At that moment, one of the captured monsters broke through the iron netting and leapt wildly. It was a Suite, a monster that would blindly charge as long as there was prey within its attack radius. Since there was only one prey around, there was only one target as well.
“Aghhhh!”
The reporter fell over on his behind as he locked eyes with the Suite, which was dashing towards him at lightning speed. The Suite’s large shadow loomed over the fallen reporter. The starved Suite was in its most ferocious state, making it all the more dangerous.
“Uwaaak!” The reporter screamed in terror, clutching his head. It was the best defence he could muster, but it was nowhere near enough. The Suite leapt at the reporter, raising its paw with its sharp claws revealed.
Crack!
There was the sound of bone breaking after being crushed by something hard.
The Suite was grabbed by the back of its neck by Inheon, who had approached at some point. In that state, his grip tightened, and its neck snapped.
Under the intense pressure, not only did blood vessels start to gather in the Suite’s eyes, but they ended up bursting as well. Fluids and yellow blood trickled down onto the muddy ground.
Unable to even let out its throes of death, the Suite slumped in Inheon’s grasp. Its protruding eyeballs dangled from its blood vessels, swaying in the wind.
It had become so quiet that it was difficult to believe there had been such a commotion earlier.
“Wasn’t it said that it was still dangerous…?”
To the point where Inheon’s incessantly low voice could be heard clearly.
At some point, a ruddy sunset began setting in the high autumn sky. Back against the light, Inheon looked like part of a giant mountain foot. It was a sudden and relieving sight, but the reporter felt goosebumps rise even more than before. His pants were growing hot.
Thud.
The monster carcass Inheon had thrown landed right in front of the reporter. The yellow blood soaked the reporter’s crotch area. However, unlike all his screaming from earlier, he couldn’t even breathe properly. He couldn’t make a sound, trying to back away with his hips, but even then he couldn’t find any strength in his arms to do so.
The post-processing team organised the situation. They removed the body and helped transfer the journalist to the medical room. The team leader quietly approached Inheon and handed him a sterile white handkerchief.
Inheon wiped the ooze between his fingers with the handkerchief he was handed. When his hands were clean, he tucked the used handkerchief into the military pocket attached to his pants.
After having slowly completed the series of processes, Inheon lifted his head. His gaze fell on the journalists outside the surrounding caution line made of red tape.
“Please stand back.”
His voice was low and quiet, incongruous with the smell of blood wafting through the air, but it had more impact than any other words. Everyone backed away, as if following their instincts to move a few steps back, and the perilous control zone was instantaneously tidied.
The sun had set, and darkness had begun to fall. However, no one dared switch on their lights or flashes.
“The situation will be difficult to manage if you do not cooperate.”
Inheon looked down at the watch on his wrist and slightly furrowed his eyebrows.
“Since it’s time to leave for work, there’ll be traffic…”
The reporters, who had retreated into the distance, checked their watches as well. Before they knew it, it was already nearly 19 o’clock. In the late autumn, when the sun sets quickly, their sense of time felt delayed.
One of the reporters, who had been gauging the atmosphere, spoke up cautiously, “Ah, i-isn’t it CEO Lee Juwon’s birthday today?”
The other reporter next to them barely managed to find their voice as well.
“C-congratulations.”
Congratulations poured in from various directions as they watched Inheon’s reaction.
“Your gift to CEO Lee must be the fastest clear in history!”
“CEO Lee Juwon must be so happy!”
“Doesn’t it seem like only good things have been happening after their civil union?”
“Would the h-husband like to say a few words?”
Inheon tilted his head slightly.
Everyone’s gaze focused on him. Instantly, the area fell silent enough to hear the sound of breathing.
“Husband…”
A small laugh could be felt from the whispering lips. Watching the atmosphere, someone turned on their lights with a click. From there, flashes went off nonstop from dozens of cameras.
The only sound that could be heard was the snapping of shutters. Flashed by the artificial light, Inheon’s three-dimensional features were defined more clearly by the shadows cast. The reporters were so focused that they forgot to blink, but Inheon’s next words were directed at someone else.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Has the caution line been completed?”
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Watching the scene on the screen, Juwon roughly picked up his phone and searched for a number. Before the call could even ring twice, an overly excited voice came through.
– Aigoo, CEO Lee, it’s been a whi…
Before the other person could finish their greeting, Juwon raised his voice.
“Director Song? Shit, how the hell are you managing the press?”
– C-CEO Lee?
“Ban all the bastards who take even one step out of the caution line. No, I already told you to stop the press from entering in the first place, didn’t I? Is something like performance promotion more important than human lives?”
– Ah, calm down for a second and listen to…
“Do I look calm right now? Why was the boundary barrier like that? It seems like you must’ve used a low-level barrier again to save money.”
– T-that’s not…
“If the Hunter Association handles matters in this way one more time, you won’t see a single December hunter no matter what dungeon occurs, so do things properly now, won’t you?”
– No, CEO Lee, why are you so uptight these days? You used to…
“Ah, never mind. That bastard who crawled in was Hansung Daily’s Baek Cheoljin, right? Just so you know, I’m going to beat that bastard to a pulp.”
– Yes, yes. We admit that we had fault in this matter, so let’s meet up right now and…
“Do you think I have time to meet with Director Song today?”
Ending the call unilaterally, Juwon opened the closet and took out his coat. Knock, knock, there was a small knock at the door. He answered briefly, and Secretary Kim walked into the representative’s office.
“Mr. CEO, are you leaving work now?”
“Yes, Secretary Kim should get off work as well.”
“Many gifts from business associates have come in, so if you will take a look…”
“Just put together a list. If there’s anything you like, you can just keep it.”
As Juwon put on his coat and turned to leave, Secretary Kim held out an ivory envelope adorned with gold leaf.
“Mr. CEO, this is for you to see for yourself…”
Juwon opened the envelope. Inside was an ornate invitation.
“The secretary of BH’s director, Min Seungah, came in person and asked me to deliver this to you.”
It was an invitation to a charity event officially organised by BH. Juwon clicked his tongue and said, “Who’s doing charity for whom?”
BH was currently under police investigation for tax evasion and corruption. Word had said that the progress of the investigation was slow, but this was not the time to organise something like this.
Even though it was a ridiculous event, he couldn’t just not attend, but that wasn’t what was important right now. Handing the invitation back to Secretary Kim, Juwon took the elevator down to the underground car park.
As the door of the silver-grey Maserati was pulled open, something fell to the floor with a flutter. Stuck between the car doors, it was a loan advertisement the size of a business card.
Honestly, aren’t things tough these days?
Without even taking a proper look at it, Juwon stepped on the paper that fell to the floor with his foot and climbed into the car.
As he stepped on the brakes and started the engine, the taillights glowed red. The car sped out of the parking lot, along with the sound of wheels scraping the parking lot floor.
The spinning wheels kicked up a gust of wind, sending the paper stamped with a footstep flying. It fluttered, revealing the back of the business card.
Return to your good old self!
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep—.
The movement of his fingers as he pressed the combination on the door lock was natural. As he entered the last number, the door opened with a signal. He used to dial his old combination out of habit in the early days of their marriage, but he had grown accustomed to the combination he had changed with Inheon now.
However, when he stepped into the living room, he blinked at the unfamiliar sight. In the heart of the dining room, a large table was set, full of steaming hot food. To one side was a pile of gift boxes.
“…Husband?”
He called out, wondering if Inheon had already arrived, but there was no answer.
“Kang Inheon?”
He called out his name a little louder, but that just made him want to see him more.
After washing up and changing his clothes, he came back out to the living room and heard a welcome sound from the front door.
Beep, beep—beep, beep, beep—.
He went to greet him, and as soon as the inner gate slid open, the person he had been waiting for by the entrance walked in.
Dressed in a sky blue knit that slightly clung to his body and dark grey slacks, Inheon held a bottle of champagne in his hand. Unlike the appearance he had shown on the screen earlier, he looked more like a model from a pictorial than a hunter who had just emerged from a dungeon.
When their eyes met, Inheon smiled as if embarrassed and said, “I wanted to get here first…”
“…Birthday or whatever, this is too much.”
Juwon’s voice calmed down a bit. He had gotten himself all worked up over a birthday he hadn’t cared about in over a decade. It felt as if he had incurred the crisis earlier. Inheon pulled Juwon’s waist into a hug and whispered, “Nothing’s too much.”
“And what about clearing a dungeon in fourteen hours?”
“That’s just talent.”
Inheon was calm, as if simply stating the obvious. It was a bit infuriating, but since he hadn’t said anything wrong, he couldn’t really refute it.
Juwon held out his hand, and Inheon handed him the bottle of champagne he was holding. Juwon put the champagne in the ice bucket on the table and extended his hand again.
Not knowing the reason why, Inheon placed his hand on top of Juwon’s. Juwon grabbed Inheon’s large hand and examined it carefully.
It was a beautifully shaped hand with elongated fingers. However, his joints and veins were prominent, and his palm was stiff and calloused. He had many scars, large and small, from his daily routine of beating monsters with his bare hands.
“It’s a problem how kind you are.”
“Me?”
As Inheon tilted his head, Juwon clicked his tongue.
“That reporter bastard, aside from saving him without letting him get harmed.” Luckily, there were no new wounds that had formed on Inheon’s hands. Still, Juwon laced their fingers together with some displeasure and squeezed. “You even covered up the fact he pissed himself…”
“…Me?”
Looking at Inheon, who pretended not to know, with narrowed eyes, Juwon continued, “You intentionally threw that monster corpse in that area. Ha… you should’ve let the fact that he pissed himself be broadcast live to the entire world…”
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, so he squeezed their intertwined fingers. Though, only his own hand hurt from being squeezed by the fingers with hard joints.
Inheon spoke as if it were obvious, “It’s because it’s Lee Juwon’s birthday today.”
“So what?”
“I want everyone to at least be happy today… but that’s beyond my power.”
“……”
“At least for today, I want everyone to be a little less unhappy.”
“…Is today Christmas or what?”
“Yeah, a God was born today.”
Inheon pulled their clasped hands towards himself. He tilted his head at an angle and pressed their lips together.
Even though he found him ridiculous for comparing his birthday to Christmas, a part of Juwon’s chest tingled. Was that why he donated billions on his birthday every year? Because, even if not everyone could be happy, he wanted someone to be a little less unhappy?
Unlike the pain in his chest, the lips that landed on his felt soft and supple, like whipped cream on a cake. Every kiss tasted overly sweet. When he licked his lips with his tongue, it felt as if he could taste the cherry he had eaten earlier. He gently sucked on his lower lip, and their tongues met.
It started out as an affectionate peck but naturally turned into a kiss. Inheon was a good kisser. Was he good at everything he did with his body?
He licked the smooth walls of his cheeks and the hard roof of his mouth. He swept over his white, even teeth. His tongue ached like he’d sucked on a confection made entirely of sugar.
His palate seemed to have turned strange as he wondered if saliva could taste this sweet. He felt full just by looking at him, but suddenly felt a pang of hunger. Inheon whispered against his lips as if he’d had a similar thought, “Should we eat? I’m starving.”
A faint smile spread across their touching lips. After having said that, they shared a few more pecks for some time before sitting facing each other at the table.
Inheon popped the cork, turned the bottle, and poured some champagne. As the ivory liquid poured into the wine glass, it gave off an aromatic and gentle scent.
The cheerful sound of glasses clanging against each other, the sound of fine bubbles fizzing, and Inheon’s voice wishing him a happy birthday tickled his ears.
“When did you get all of this ready?”
The food placed on the food warmer was still warm. Juwon peeled a steamed oyster as he spoke, and Inheon scratched his cheek.
“I wanted to cook for you. I wanted to make seaweed soup for you as well, but…”
“A birthday comes back every year.”
“Still… My opportunity was stolen away by Deokbun-ssi…”
“I’ll make it for your birthday. We can eat it together then.”
“…Honey, I eat everything you cook, though.”
The corners of Juwon’s mouth turned up. He found it endearing that Inheon was only greedy for the food he cooked.
The kitchen had changed the most since the two of them moved in together. The fridge was stocked with food other than water and alcohol, and the cupboards were stocked with dishes and cooking utensils. Inheon had even learned to cook quickly, and since he was good at it, they would make dinner together.
The one thing they had in common when it came to housing was that they both had no preferences whatsoever. This made the process of choosing and filling everything from the dining table to the water glasses together very easy. They would just like any item the other would point at.
“But what’s with all of that?”
Juwon pointed to the gift boxes, and Inheon said, having a little difficulty, “Actually… I’ve been violating the Hunter Creed all this time…”
“Huh?”
“Open it.”
A brilliant purple glow shimmered inside as he pulled the string of the box. It was a hexagonal, six-sided, crystal-type S-class mana stone.
He opened another box, this time containing a pearl-like mana stone the size of a plum seed. The other box was the same. Each and every one of them contained a precious gem of the highest quality, hard to put a price on.
Juwon looked at the numerous gems and asked, “Are these all mana stones?”
Inheon nodded his head.
“You brought them out privately?”
“Yes…”
Number six of the Hunter Creed, components from dungeons cannot be attributed to an individual.
There were grandiose reasons why only the government, the Hunter Association, or approved companies could use dungeon components, such as for safety reasons and research, but as with most vocational ethics, court sanctions were also under the principles of ambiguous documents.
Many chaebols collected dungeon belongings and openly traded them at auction houses. Sending just one of these mana stones to a dungeon auction would make the eyes of collectors light up, and the asking price would skyrocket as well.
Even in the company, there was a clause in the hunter contract promising to provide a part of the dungeon components to them, but Inheon refused to make it a clause of his contract. He was surprised that Inheon, who had never had any worldly desires, had kept the mana stones for himself.
“Since when?”
“…Since the beginning?”
Juwon asked again, and Inheon averted his eyes slightly, as if guilty, and continued, “I couldn’t help it.”
“……”
“I think of you whenever I see gemstones.”
Maybe it’s because they sparkle, Inheon mumbled to himself.
“Ha…”
Juwon pulled Inheon’s neck into a hug. He couldn’t bear not to kiss him.
Who was the one who saw the other as something sparkling? Was there anything in the world that shined as much as him?
In the countless paths of time they’d walked together, Inheon’s love for him remained. Like a pebble thrown as a signpost by a pair of brothers and sisters abandoned in the forest, it remained here and there and sparkled in the moonlight.
In the darkness, he walked only with the light that Inheon had left behind. Without it, he would have given up in exhaustion. He would’ve perished without even leaving a body behind, like all the others trapped in Gnipahellir.
Inheon was the reason Juwon was able to return home without getting lost in the labyrinth.
In the embrace he pulled towards him, he confessed his feelings against his ear. He was grateful to be able to put into words the mixture of feelings on the verge of bursting, feelings of gratitude, apology, joy, and surprise. He hugged the chest which must’ve grown tattered from the long time he couldn’t do so.
Delicious food, sweet liquor, and sparkling gems. I want to give you all of it, so how can I hold back? My head is full of things I want to give you right now, too. I think I’ll go crazy if I can’t give you all of them…
orcinus comments:
i finished reading the extras… they’re too sweet… i need a vol5 now…….
Damn that’s a good birthday !
Ngl im not used to them not fighting. So i need them to be more lovey dovey.
Fr
Super Sweet!!! Im full from sweetness!!
i like when MLs just treat MC like theyre a god and that deep devotion is so great T.T reminds me of hua cheng and xie lian. when inheon would donate billions when its juwon’s bday as well as him recognizing that juwon is his god makes me weak AAAA