Chapter 139: Under the Spotlight, Unexpectedly

“……”

Slurp.

Seong Ji-woo took a sip of his coffee and let out a deep sigh. One eyebrow twitched upward.

“……”

Slurp.

Another sip. And then, finally, Seong Ji-woo exploded. He set the cup down with a sharp clack and snapped,

“Can you please just stay still for once?”

Irritation burned plainly in his eyes—and for good reason. Yoo Hee-ro kept circling him nonstop.

Startled by the raised voice, Yoo Hee-ro immediately drooped and replied in a small, sulky voice,

“…I just keep finding it fascinating.”

“What exactly is?”

When Seong Ji-woo frowned in genuine confusion, Yoo Hee-ro’s cheeks flushed bright red. The shy expression made Seong Ji-woo’s face twist oddly.

But Yoo Hee-ro went even further, cupping his reddened cheeks with both hands. Seong Ji-woo turned his gaze away, pretending not to notice.

“You’re just… so cool.”

“…What is?”

“It’s your suit. You’re wearing one for the first time, right? And it’s… way more than I imagined.”

The moment Yoo Hee-ro mentioned the suit, Seong Ji-woo lowered his head to check his own outfit.

It wasn’t anything extravagant—just a simple set he’d prepared for formal occasions. Basic to the extreme: black trousers, a black jacket, and a white dress shirt. He’d skipped the black tie, worried it would make him look like he was heading to a funeral.

In contrast, the association had gone all out for Yoo Hee-ro. They’d even assigned him a new manager to replace Son Seong-cheol and tried to provide a personal driver.

That plan had fallen apart thanks to Seong Ji-woo’s fierce refusal.

Because Yoo Hee-ro had flatly declared he wouldn’t attend unless Seong Ji-woo went with him. As a result, all negotiations with the association had fallen squarely on Seong Ji-woo’s shoulders.

Seong Ji-woo swept his gaze over Yoo Hee-ro, who was dressed in an unmistakably high-end gray three-piece suit. Yoo Hee-ro kept fidgeting with his neatly styled hair, clearly unaccustomed to it—but his current appearance was… flawless.

Even without intentionally shining a spotlight on him, anyone could instantly tell who the star of this awards ceremony was.

And yet that very person was admiring Seong Ji-woo’s half-hearted outfit.

For a moment, Seong Ji-woo genuinely wondered if Yoo Hee-ro was teasing him.

But Yoo Hee-ro’s eyes sparkled with such unfiltered sincerity that the doubt faded away.

“If you ask me, you’re the one who looks better,” Seong Ji-woo said casually.

On the way here, Yoo Hee-ro had been showered with praise from all sorts of people.

Among hundreds of compliments, Seong Ji-woo had merely added one more.

Yet Yoo Hee-ro looked like he was on the verge of tears. Despite barely reacting to any of the earlier praise, this one hit him hard. Startled by the dramatic reaction, Seong Ji-woo stepped back.

“No, seriously—what’s with that reaction? You must’ve heard this a thousand times already.”

“I don’t know.”

“You heard it just a few minutes ago! That assemblyman nearly grabbed you and—”

The politician they’d just met had gone on and on so much that his spit had almost landed on Seong Ji-woo. He’d even asked for an autograph, claiming his daughter was a huge fan.

Yoo Hee-ro didn’t actually have a signature, but under relentless pleading, he’d written his name. He’d even thoughtfully added “Gwangmyeong,” the guild name, underneath.

Why would you add extra stuff for someone who says they’re your fan? Seong Ji-woo’s face had burned in embarrassment.

Shaking his head, Yoo Hee-ro said,

“I don’t remember a single word anyone else said. I don’t even want to.”

“That’s kind of cruel. They’d be hurt if they heard that.”

Yoo Hee-ro clearly didn’t care. Adjusting his shirt collar, he asked,

“Does my tie look okay?”

“Huh? The tie? Yeah, it’s fine. Why?”

“Really okay?”

As he spoke, Yoo Hee-ro fiddled with it so much that it ended up completely crooked.

“Nope. Now it’s not okay.”

“Right? You’ll fix it for me, right?”

That morning, after admitting he didn’t know how to tie one, Seong Ji-woo had tied it for him. And ever since—more precisely, the entire ride to the venue—Yoo Hee-ro had been grinning nonstop.

With a heavy sigh, Seong Ji-woo crooked his finger. Yoo Hee-ro immediately stepped in close, as if he’d been waiting for it.

“Whoa—!”

They were so close that Seong Ji-woo recoiled in shock. He’d nearly bumped his lips against Yoo Hee-ro’s chin.

Looking disappointed, Yoo Hee-ro pushed his chest forward instead. Seong Ji-woo reached out and neatly straightened the ruined tie.

Just then, the waiting room door opened and visitors arrived.

“Wow, this waiting room is insane. Isn’t the difference in treatment a bit much?”

It was Koo Min-ah. She entered wearing a sharp navy suit, followed by Park Soo-jin and Gam Ju-an.

Seeing familiar faces, Seong Ji-woo lifted his hand in greeting.

“Ju-an, you came too.”

“Ji-woo! Long time no see. Are you feeling better?”

Gam Ju-an had contacted him several times about visiting the hospital, but Park Soo-jin had mentioned he was swamped handling bulk orders, so Seong Ji-woo had firmly declined.

Honestly, his condition had never been serious enough to warrant concern. He’d only stayed hospitalized so long due to Yoo Hee-ro’s excessive worry—if anything, it felt more like a vacation than recovery.

Knowing Gam Ju-an must’ve already heard he was fine, Seong Ji-woo smiled warmly.

“I told you there was nothing to worry about. I’m totally fine.”

“Seeing you in person makes me feel better.”

While the two caught up, Koo Min-ah lounged on the sofa and began unwrapping the snacks on the table one by one, grumbling that their own waiting room didn’t get desserts this fancy.

“I heard this side was the ‘main character,’ but isn’t this a little too obvious? The other hunters might feel slighted.”

“Honestly, yeah.”

Seong Ji-woo agreed. Even though he was benefiting as Yoo Hee-ro’s companion, he would’ve been annoyed too if he’d come separately.

What made it worse was that Yoo Hee-ro genuinely deserved it—leaving nothing to argue against.

Koo Min-ah only complained about the excessive favoritism, never about Yoo Hee-ro himself.

“Hye-rin won’t make it, right?”

“She doesn’t exactly have the headspace for it.”

At Seong Ji-woo’s question, Koo Min-ah shook her head. Shin Yoon-jae had briefly regained consciousness a few days earlier, only to collapse again, completely ruling out Lee Hye-rin’s attendance.

Clicking her tongue, Koo Min-ah sighed,

“She was probably going to win Rookie of the Year… She was really looking forward to it. You can only be nominated for three years, and next year’s cutting it close.”

“She got nominated? Well, she did work insanely hard.”

Thinking of Hye-rin pushing herself through gate after gate, it made sense. If she didn’t win, that would be stranger.

“You didn’t know? You’re nominated too.”

“Me? Why?”

Compared to Hye-rin, he hadn’t done much. The idea of being a nominee in any category hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“There’s the Dohwari Gate incident… and guild points count too.”

Koo Min-ah gestured toward Yoo Hee-ro with her chin. Seong Ji-woo nodded in understanding.

“Ah. Still not that appealing. I hope Hye-rin wins.”

“Same.”

Knock, knock.

Someone cautiously opened the door. A woman peeked her head in and spoke politely,

“The ceremony will begin shortly. Please prepare to enter.”

Due to the organizers’ insistence on placing Yoo Hee-ro alone under the spotlight, the two couldn’t enter together.

Seeing a staff member nearly in tears clinging to him, Seong Ji-woo told Yoo Hee-ro to go in alone. Yoo Hee-ro nodded, clearly unhappy about it.

So Seong Ji-woo would enter with the general hunters, while Yoo Hee-ro would make a “coincidental” solo appearance at the end.

“Watch from inside.”

Seong Ji-woo gave Yoo Hee-ro a small wave and exited first, smoothly joining the Gwangmyeong guild members waiting outside.

“Wouldn’t it look stranger if only our guild leader is missing?” Lee Won-jae asked cautiously.

Chae Min-jeong shrugged.

“Our guild leader is less a leader and more a HERO. It can’t be helped. Let the vice-leader represent us. Go on ahead.”

“Me? No, I’m good. Really. Extremely good.”

Seong Ji-woo rejected the idea vehemently and fled to stand beside Son Ji-hwan. Clicking her tongue, Min-jeong stepped to the front herself, with Won-jae following behind.

Normally, the ceremony would’ve kicked off with a grand red carpet, but due to circumstances, most of that pomp had been cut this year.

Aside from a few hunters, most welcomed the reduced hassle. Seong Ji-woo felt the same. If there’d been a red carpet, he would’ve had to stand awkwardly beside Yoo Hee-ro.

What he didn’t anticipate—

Was that civilians—non-hunters—would recognize him.

And that they would erupt into deafening cheers the moment they saw him.

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