Chapter 24: Unexpected Comfort

– Honey.

Joo Yi-won’s voice greeted him the moment he answered the call. Hearing such an utterly carefree tone, so unlike the frantic scene he’d just witnessed on the news, struck Shin Ji-ho as utterly absurd.

“What are you doing? All the reporters are gathered, and you’re just ignoring them. That’s not how you do things.”

Joo Yi-won merely chuckled, completely unbothered by Shin Ji-ho’s scolding.

– I called to congratulate you on today. Said you did well.

“What’s so great about that?”

– It is great. Our Ji-ho worked so hard.

“Oh, right…”

Shin Ji-ho mumbled a reply, uncharacteristically flustered. Though such sweet words were nothing new, today, for some reason, they made his face feel strangely hot.

‘Could it be because I feel acknowledged?’

Shin Ji-ho shook his head, dismissing the fleeting thought. It was far too soon to rejoice over mere recognition when he still had to strive to stand as an equal.

Shin Ji-ho switched off the TV, which had just transitioned to sports news. Then, with a slight hesitation, he asked,

“Are you… not hurt anywhere?”

He asked, bothered by Joo Yi-won’s abrupt disappearance. A burst of laughter echoed from the other end of the line.

– Me? Get hurt?

His voice, beyond capable and bordering on arrogant, still held a hint of laughter.

‘Yes, you’re so amazing, you bastard…’

He had worried for nothing; there were plenty of other people to worry about.

As Shin Ji-ho pressed his lips together, silence hung in the air for a while. Unlike the quiet solitude of his own home, distant human chatter could be heard from Joo Yi-won’s surroundings.

Just as he was about to end the call, having nothing left to say,

– I love you, Ji-ho.

That sweet voice, heard often yet never quite accustomed to, confessed its love. Shin Ji-ho rubbed away the goosebumps that instantly prickled his skin and retorted,

“What was that, all of a sudden? That’s creepy.”

– It’s not the first time I’ve said it.

“I’m saying it *because* it’s creepy every single time. Just cut it out already.”

– I’ll stop if I can manage not to love you. Though I’m not sure if that day will ever come.

“Save those kinds of words for your girlfriend.”

– Ji-ho *is* my lover.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Now go inside and rest.”

– Ji-ho.

Shin Ji-ho, about to offer some sort of reply, suddenly yawned without realizing it. His body, which had been signaling its exhaustion moments before, was now demanding sleep.

– …Goodnight.

Joo Yi-won, who had seemed to have more to say, bid him farewell. Shin Ji-ho gave a perfunctory reply and ended the call.

“Not great…”

His body felt terrible, quite apart from his uplifted mood. Shin Ji-ho muttered to himself, fidgeting on the sofa.

He knew he should get up, wash, and go to bed, but he simply lacked the energy to stir. Quickly, Shin Ji-ho was overcome by slumber.

****

The soft, cozy warmth of a blanket enveloped him.

His immediate thought was, ‘Didn’t I fall asleep on the living room sofa?’

“Did you sleep well?”

“…”

Shin Ji-ho blinked his eyes open to find Joo Yi-won sitting calmly before him. He dazedly surveyed his surroundings, wondering if he was dreaming, before confirming moments later that this was, in fact, reality.

‘It would have been better if it were a dream.’

With a bewildered gaze, Shin Ji-ho observed his own appearance, realizing he was somehow sleeping in his bed. He had distinctly collapsed without changing, yet now he was neatly dressed in pajamas.

“Your clothes had some monster fluids on them, so I changed them for you. You should always change out of things like that before sleeping. Even if there’s no immediate problem, it could seep into your skin while you sleep and act as a toxin. Even when you’re tired, wash up before bed. Got it?”

“Uh… yeah.”

Shin Ji-ho, who had dazedly nodded along to the sudden barrage of scolding, soon realized a crucial fact and bristled.

“No. That’s not the problem. How did you get in?”

“I opened the door and came in.”

“Did you pick the lock?”

“No. The password here is 0408.”

“When did you even see that…”

It wasn’t a particularly difficult number, and he had, unintentionally, brought Joo Yi-won home a few times. With an SS-rank’s dynamic vision, it would be easy to discern which buttons were pressed with just a quick glance.

‘Should I change to the magic-recognition lock that’s popular among Awakened these days?’ Yet, he had a nagging feeling that if it were Joo Yi-won, even that wouldn’t stop him from getting in. ‘Surely that’s not just my imagination.’

Shin Ji-ho crossed his arms and glared askance at Joo Yi-won.

“No, but why are you in someone else’s house? This is trespassing, you know.”

“What trespassing between a married couple?”

“It can definitely be established even between a married couple… no, you’re not even my wife to begin with, are you?”

“Yes, I’m your husband.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. Don’t you ever get tired of that?”

Such jokes had been consistently ongoing since middle school. He had expected them to stop once Joo Yi-won matured a little.

In fact, at this point, it felt less like a joke and more like a deeply ingrained habit. People said childhood nicknames often stuck for life, and Shin Ji-ho genuinely feared that ‘Honey’ might become Joo Yi-won’s permanent moniker for him.

As Shin Ji-ho let out a derisive snort, Joo Yi-won swiftly closed the distance between them. Shin Ji-ho flinched, attempting to pull back, but Joo Yi-won’s hand was quicker, cupping his forehead. As always, his warm body temperature gently heated Shin Ji-ho’s skin.

“You’re not sick anywhere, are you?”

“Huh? No, I’m fine.”

He had been quite exhausted before falling asleep, having used a significant amount of magic. Though he’d practically fainted into slumber, a single night’s rest had completely revitalized him. In fact, he felt surprisingly refreshed, considering how utterly drained he had been yesterday.

“That’s a relief,” Joo Yi-won said, a smile gracing his lips. Behind him, Shin Ji-ho noticed the coat he always wore.

“It’s morning now, right?”

“Yes, it’s 8:30,” Joo Yi-won replied, glancing at his watch.

‘So, did he come straight here yesterday and stay until now?’ In the past, he would simply show his face and then vanish instantly. But at the auction, and now again, he seemed to be lingering for quite a while.

‘Had there been some change in his sentiments?’

“Why did you come? Before, you’d just say what you needed to and leave right away.”

“Because I missed Ji-ho.”

There was no use pressing him. Joo Yi-won always deflected with such nonsensical remarks. Shin Ji-ho let out a sigh.

“You trespass just because you miss me?”

“Trespassing isn’t a big deal.”

‘Was that truly an acceptable statement to come from an SS-rank Hunter, lauded as humanity’s savior?’ As Shin Ji-ho narrowed his eyes, Joo Yi-won merely shrugged lightly.

“I came in because I thought you might be sick. I was going to take you to the hospital if you were. When I arrived, you even had a bit of a fever.”

“How did you know I was sick…?”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t installed any surveillance cameras.”

“‘Even without cameras, you have many useful skills’ – it’s not like that, is it?”

“No. I just know from hearing your voice.”

Shin Ji-ho frowned at the affectionate tone. He felt a sharp jab of pain in one side of his head, and with the discomfort came an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.

“Hmm…”

“Why?”

“Have we… done this before?”

“Done what?”

Shin Ji-ho’s lips twitched for a long moment. Something felt on the verge of surfacing, yet it refused to materialize. Vaguely trying to put his thoughts into words, he finally managed to speak.

“A situation like this…? You know, you looking after me and everything?”

“Of course.”

“There was?”

“I always took care of you whenever you were sick. We went to the same school, commuted together. There were countless similar instances, really.”

“Right…”

Indeed, they had lived under the same roof for years. Including the time Shin Ji-ho had been unconscious, it amounted to nearly two decades.

Even setting aside their school commutes, they had gone on family trips together and, by some twist of fate, always seemed to be bundled together for various travels. With mutual friends, they were practically inseparable.

‘If only he had spent all that time studying instead of constantly being stuck to Joo Yi-won, he might have even managed to rank first during his school days.’

While lost in these idle thoughts, Shin Ji-ho suddenly realized when Joo Yi-won had started clinging to him so unreservedly again: it was after he acquired his new skill.

‘Does Joo Yi-won know something?’

At the very least, he might be certain that Shin Ji-ho’s condition had significantly improved. Given Joo Yi-won’s keen eye, sharp enough to instantly recognize the value of an SS-rank magic stone, he would certainly have noticed Shin Ji-ho’s transformation.

“Let’s eat, Ji-ho.”

Joo Yi-won naturally rose, as if he were the master of the house. Shin Ji-ho, following along in a daze, realized something had changed, but it was too late to say anything, so he quietly kept his mouth shut.

A luxurious Korean meal was laid out on the dining table, a spread of dishes so abundant it seemed excessive for breakfast.

“You expect me to eat all this?”

“Of course. Eat a lot, Ji-ho. You need to eat well and replenish your energy. Last night, you fell asleep first, so I was left to soak my pillow alone.”

Ignoring the nonsense, Shin Ji-ho took his seat. He had planned to just grab some cereal. The sudden appearance of a twelve-dish banquet, while a bit overwhelming, was perfect for restoring his energy, just as Joo Yi-won had said.

“Where did you buy all this?”

“I made it. I started early this morning, but you wouldn’t wake up.”

“You don’t have time, so why bother…”

He began to scold out of habit but then met Joo Yi-won’s eyes. The man who had everything was now looking at Shin Ji-ho with the expression of a lost puppy.

Come to think of it, even though he had trespassed, Joo Yi-won had rushed over to check on Shin Ji-ho the moment his exhausting work was done, worried he might be sick. And trespassing, among people who were practically family, wasn’t really something to nitpick about legally.

Feeling that it would be unkind to scold him over a meal, Shin Ji-ho changed the subject.

“No, I’ll eat well.”

“Good. Tell me if you need anything else.”

“This is enough, what else could I need?”

“Anything. Whatever you want.”

Shin Ji-ho looked up at the low, resonant voice, meeting Joo Yi-won’s serious gaze.

‘Anything, whatever you want.’

As the Guild Master of Cheongram, the world’s largest guild, and the sole SS-rank Hunter, Joo Yi-won, his childhood friend, sounded quite impressive as he spoke as if he could grant Shin Ji-ho anything he desired. However…

Instead of answering, Shin Ji-ho chuckled softly and picked up his chopsticks. If he were going to rely on Joo Yi-won, he would have done so long ago. He began his meal, thinking of how people’s perceptions would once again have changed when he went to work after breakfast.