Chapter 28: The Unspoken Rules of Family

Shin Jae-woon, seemingly delighted, bolted out, and Shin Ji-ho ambled clumsily after him. Just as they reached the entrance, they encountered two figures opening the door at the precise moment. A radiant smile blossomed on Shin Ji-hye’s previously impassive face.

“Ji-ho, Jae-woon, it’s been a while.”

“Hello, Auntie. And hello, Yi-won hyung!”

“Hey, Noona.”

“Ji-ho. Why aren’t you greeting me?”

As Shin Ji-ho naturally disregarded Joo Yi-won, who was standing beside him, Joo Yi-won sauntered closer, feigning familiarity. Shin Ji-ho recoiled, attempting to dislodge the thick arm that had unceremoniously draped itself over his shoulder, but Joo Yi-won only clung tighter.

Observing their antics, Shin Jae-woon inexplicably grew serious.

“Isn’t it a bit too steamy in here for a family gathering?”

“What are you even talking about?”

Shin Ji-ho shot a glare at Shin Jae-woon’s absurd comment, finally managing to wriggle free from Joo Yi-won’s hold. In response, Joo Yi-won let out an artificial, mournful sob, theatrically rubbing at the corners of his eyes.

“Oh, I’ve come after such a long time, and Ji-ho is treating me so coldly. It makes me so sad, I could just weep…”

“We just saw each other a few days ago, though.”

“But it’s been a while *here*.”

“You really do fret over the smallest things.”

Despite his rebuke, Shin Ji-ho conceded that it had indeed been a considerable time since he had last seen Joo Yi-won at a family gathering such as this.

Joo Yi-won was, technically, not a blood relation. Yet, despite lacking ties of blood or legal adoption, he had always been considered an integral part of the Shin family. His recent absences were simply due to his increasingly demanding schedule.

Thinking back, when Joo Yi-won was around twelve, Shin Ji-ho’s mother had even proposed adopting him. However, Joo Yi-won, it was said, had flatly refused the offer. The reasons for his rejection, however, remained unknown to Shin Ji-ho.

‘Would he have been less annoying if we were actual brothers?’

At least then, he wouldn’t be pulling those bizarre stunts, constantly joking about them being a couple.

As Shin Ji-ho shot him a sidelong glance, Joo Yi-won merely smiled, as though the disdain in Shin Ji-ho’s eyes was a source of amusement. Shin Ji-ho, in turn, scowled and averted his gaze.

Upon returning to the living room with the trio, they found their father, who had been laughing just moments before, now sporting a profound frown.

Shin Ji-hye offered a light greeting to their parents first, followed by Joo Yi-won, who bowed deeply and with utmost respect.

“It’s truly been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of seeing you.”

“Oh, indeed. Yi-won, it has been quite some time.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

While his mother greeted Joo Yi-won with warmth, his father, instead of returning the courtesy, merely cleared his throat, openly displaying his discomfort. Shin Ji-ho, standing awkwardly between them, feigned innocence and subtly inquired.

“Dad. Are you feeling cold?”

“No, no. Yes, it has been a long time.”

His father’s begrudging acknowledgment struck Shin Ji-ho as peculiar. It wasn’t that this behavior was entirely new; it had been manifesting for more than just a day or two, yet it hadn’t been happening for an excessively long time either.

Had it started roughly ten months ago? That was when Shin Jung-ho’s disapproval of Joo Yi-won seemed to begin.

Shin Jung-ho had once been the one to praise Joo Yi-won as a capable young man who would excel at anything, even expressing a desire to offer him a position within the company someday.

Now, however, Shin Jung-ho’s gaze toward Joo Yi-won was rife with hostility, as if he were looking at a thief attempting to abscond with a priceless treasure.

His father was not one to dislike someone without cause, yet Shin Ji-ho could perceive no valid reason for such animosity, rendering the current situation utterly incomprehensible.

This wasn’t merely the biased perspective of a son; his father was genuinely a good man. The Cheongram company, too, was renowned for its transparent operations and excellent employee welfare.

Above all, it was his father who had readily welcomed the orphaned Joo Yi-won into their home, raising him as if he were his own flesh and blood.

Why, then, had he suddenly begun to treat Joo Yi-won with such inexplicable coldness? Especially when Joo Yi-won was now not only repaying the kindness of his upbringing but seemingly multiplying that gratitude a hundredfold.

Even more perplexing was Joo Yi-won’s seemingly natural acceptance of his father’s frosty demeanor.

There were times when Joo Yi-won would skillfully play Go, matching his father’s hobbies and growing closer than even Shin Ji-ho, the biological son. Yet, he never displayed even a hint of hurt or resentment.

While Shin Ji-ho might not have particularly liked Joo Yi-won, he firmly believed that Joo Yi-won should never be subjected to unfair treatment.

After all, wasn’t Joo Yi-won humanity’s savior? He undoubtedly deserved to be treated with the utmost respect.

He longed to intervene and mediate, but without knowing the root cause of the conflict, getting involved felt impossible.

This was especially true given that his mother, who typically handled any domestic discord with gentle diplomacy, was now merely offering a vague, helpless smile.

Just as the awkward tension threatened to cast a chill over the entire household, Shin Jae-woon, who had been subtly observing, swiftly interjected.

“Grandpa. I’m hungry.”

“Oh, are you hungry? My precious grandchild simply cannot be hungry.”

As his mother, the true power within the household, stepped forward, the tense atmosphere instantly softened. His father, too, cleared his throat unnecessarily, then rose from his seat and headed towards the kitchen.

While the others proceeded to the kitchen, Shin Ji-ho subtly followed his sister, Shin Ji-hye, who announced she would change out of her uncomfortable clothes before heading upstairs to her room.

“Noona. Do you know why Dad’s acting like that?”

“What do you mean, if *you* don’t know?”

His sister playfully chided him, a light laugh escaping her lips. When Shin Ji-ho tilted his head, utterly bewildered by her words, Shin Ji-hye offered a faint smile.

“It’s nothing serious. You two used to bicker so much as children; perhaps that’s why you haven’t noticed?”

“Notice what, exactly?”

“It’s because Joo Yi-won keeps loudly proclaiming that he’s going to marry you. He keeps saying boys can marry each other.”

Shin Ji-ho had been discussing the matter with genuine seriousness. Yet, the words that left his sister’s lips caused his tension to deflate with an audible *thunk*.

“For *that* reason? It’s just a joke, Noona. He’s always been like that.”

While Joo Yi-won was now hailed as humanity’s hero, in earlier days, he had simply been a mischievous boy. Even his friends, though finding his pranks a bit eccentric, would often play along.

However, upon reflection, Shin Ji-ho realized that for someone of his father’s generation, even a jest about same-s*x relationships could be genuinely discomfiting.

As Shin Ji-hye removed her jacket and reached for her blouse, Shin Ji-ho instinctively turned his back. While changing, Shin Ji-hye continued to speak.

“Well, then *you* tell Joo Yi-won to stop. Dad’s only angry because Joo Yi-won keeps doing it, even after Dad explicitly told him not to.”

“Wait… he was doing that even after Dad told him to stop?”

“He’s been doing it ever since his very first interview. At first, Dad would call him every time he heard news and give him a stern word. Now, he seems so exasperated that he’s stopped even looking for it…”

“He actually *did* that?”

Shin Ji-ho had always assumed his family simply regarded Joo Yi-won’s one-sided interviews as harmless jokes. But to think his father had warned him long ago?

Joo Yi-won had always been an obedient child. Given his position of living under their roof, he rarely even voiced necessary requests.

The family, who truly considered Joo Yi-won one of their own, had felt sorrowful about his constantly watchful demeanor, wishing he would simply relax and feel at ease.

They certainly hadn’t wished for him to completely disregard their words in this manner.

“Noona, you pretty much know Joo Yi-won’s entire schedule, don’t you?”

“Hmm, most of it, yes? I don’t pry into his private affairs, but honestly, he hardly has a private life outside of meeting you.”

“No… I actually think he has a girlfriend.”

“What? Joo Yi-won, you mean?”

Having finished changing, Shin Ji-hye approached Shin Ji-ho, her face inexplicably etched with anger as she questioned him.

“No, with whom is that bastard dating?”

“How would I know that? From my perspective, he’s just using those jokes with me as a smokescreen for his real girlfriend.”

“Ah, I thought it was something serious…”

Shin Ji-hye shrugged lightly.

“Your point has some merit… but that’s not it. He genuinely has no time. How could someone who practically lives at the guild possibly have time for dates?”

“That’s… true, but.”

“Ugh, well… now that I think about it, it’s not really my place to get angry if he dates someone else… No, no, that’s not right. If he starts dating another Hunter, he might just abandon us and go to their guild…”

Shin Ji-hye, who had been muttering distractedly, suddenly adopted a grim expression, as if a profound realization had struck her. She placed both hands firmly on Shin Ji-ho’s shoulders.

“Even if Joo Yi-won dates some other guy and goes to another guild, don’t worry too much. It won’t be your fault.”

“Of course it wouldn’t be my fault… but would Joo Yi-won really go to another guild? He’s built so much here already.”

“True, you have a point. Who would he even date, anyway?”

Unlike Shin Ji-ho, who still harbored doubts, Shin Ji-hye nodded with a relieved expression. She seemed to have arrived at her own conclusion based on something Shin Ji-ho wasn’t privy to.

“Anyway, Dad isn’t entirely serious about it either. If he were truly enraged, he wouldn’t let Joo Yi-won set foot in this house at all.”

“It would be nice if they got along. Dad used to say he thought of Joo Yi-won like a son.”

“Well, with a son… things have become a little different…”

Shin Ji-hye trailed off, staring intently at Shin Ji-ho. Then, she suddenly pinched his cheek.

“Wh-what’s that for?”

“Because you’re cute, our Ji-ho. Let’s head down now. They’ll be waiting for us.”

Indeed, several minutes had already passed since they entered the room. Since everyone typically started meals together, they were likely waiting at the dining table.

Shin Ji-ho had many more questions, but knowing there would be another opportunity, he followed Shin Ji-hye out of the room.

True to Shin Ji-hye’s words, the family was waiting for the two of them, and a subtly awkward atmosphere lingered, suggesting another clash between his father and Joo Yi-won.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

With his mother’s mediation, the meal finally began.

It was an unspoken rule that on this day, when the family gathered at the main house for a meal, no talk of work was allowed. For about an hour or two, they leisurely dined, exchanging stories about their private lives.

Every time his father and Joo Yi-won had an opportunity to converse, the atmosphere would momentarily chill, but Shin Jae-woon would swiftly intervene. Thanks to him, the mood precariously remained amicable.

Shin Jae-woon wasn’t typically this actively involved in family matters…

Shin Ji-ho would have bet Im Seung-ju that Shin Jae-woon had received an advance allowance from Joo Yi-won for this kind of intervention.

After a meal that concluded peacefully, albeit barely, Joo Yi-won called out to Shin Ji-ho.

“Ji-ho.”

“What is it?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s not really for here. Let’s talk in the room.”

Joo Yi-won grinned, arbitrarily slinging an arm over Shin Ji-ho’s shoulder. He then leaned close to Shin Ji-ho’s ear and whispered softly.

“It’s about guild matters. It’d be good to discuss it while we’re already together, wouldn’t it?”

“If it’s important, contact me through the guild.”

“It’s not that, exactly. I was thinking of giving you some useful information.”

Information? In that case, there was no reason to refuse. Shin Ji-ho nodded, preparing to follow Joo Yi-won. After all, the second floor of this house still had the rooms Shin Ji-ho and Joo Yi-won used, side by side.