Chapter 68: The Demon King’s Past and a Cafe Visit

While Yeowon remained cloistered, the world outside continued its frantic pace.

The flood monster subjugation gained momentum, proceeding with increased speed and efficiency. They delved deeper, clearing another tenth of the affected area without a single casualty, let alone any fatalities. While this was undoubtedly positive news, Lee Hyun-su, burdened with the resulting tasks and paperwork, found his cheeks growing noticeably paler.

Adding to his workload was the matter of the Demon Realm map, which had begun production under Yeowon’s initiative. Consequently, Lee Hyun-su worked without a moment’s respite, and even Sagyeol, who had been stubbornly glued to Yeowon’s side, was eventually dragged away by the S-ranks.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Are these bastards insane!”

Hunter-grade restraints had been clamped onto Sagyeol’s wrists and ankles as he struggled. He glared at Yeowon with wide, furious eyes, but Yeowon averted his gaze. Sagyeol had gone to him with a fluttering heart, wondering why he’d been called first, only to hear a click the moment he was embraced.

‘A click?’

As if on cue, the door burst open, and the S-ranks rushed in. “Now!” Sagyeol snarled, radiating killing intent.

“Let me go.”

“If we let you go now, we’ll all die! Why would we let you go?”

“Besides, the entire guild is working like a house on fire. Do you really think a vacation makes sense right now?”

“Those who don’t work, don’t get to flirt.”

Lee Hyun-su couldn’t help but marvel. Sagyeol’s temper had clearly flared to his breaking point, yet the ambient temperature hadn’t dropped. He had consciously suppressed his destructive habits, remembering Yeowon’s dislike for them, even amidst his fury.

‘Love is truly magnificent.’

Nodding, he pressed the button, summoning the elevator. The S-ranks then moved the bound Sagyeol inside. Forgetting all decorum, Sagyeol twisted his body, making one final, desperate struggle.

A monstrous strength, capable of tearing demons apart, erupted from him. The S-rank Hunters collectively staggered, and for the first time, the playful glint in their eyes vanished. Just then, Yeowon, who had hesitantly come out to see him off, spoke in a low voice.

“Go and return safely.”

The surging momentum momentarily subsided. Lee Hyun-su seized the opportunity, swiftly closing the door.

Regardless of how he was brought there, once Sagyeol arrived at the office, he handled his work with cold efficiency. He reviewed the backlog of documents like a machine and relayed instructions with sharp precision.

By the time he finished, it was already the dead of night.

On his way back, moving from floor to floor, Sagyeol was surprisingly not in a bad mood. This was due to his anticipation of being greeted upon his return, though no such greeting awaited him. Instead, Yeowon was in the living room, conversing with someone.

‘Conversing?’

He had received a new ID and a new device when he was assigned his rank at the Hunter Association. Only Sagyeol and Lee Hyun-su knew his number. Yet, he was conversing with someone else, which could only mean Yeowon had initiated the contact.

Sagyeol smiled faintly.

‘Which bastard is it?’

Despite his harsh thought, Sagyeol had a strong suspicion of who that ‘bastard’ might be.

“Yes. You don’t have to worry.”

To others, his voice might have sounded gruff, but Sagyeol recognized the subtle comfort and warmth woven within it. This was an intimacy that surpassed any work fatigue or stress. Sagyeol’s stomach churned with jealousy.

“I told you, I’m doing well.”

Yeowon noticed Sagyeol a moment too late. Awkwardly, he concluded his call. Sagyeol’s smile deepened.

“The café owner?”

“I was just… curious how they were doing.”

“Ah, well, of course. It’s natural to be curious. Right. You haven’t seen their face since then, have you?”

Sagyeol grinned, his smile unwavering. Yeowon flinched.

“Are you angry?”

“No, I’m not.”

Yeowon said hesitantly.

“It seems like you are.”

Sagyeol could no longer hold back, his words tumbling out.

“A person works all day and comes home, but there’s no greeting, no ‘welcome back’! You’re too busy on the phone with some scoundrel to even glance my way!”

“I’m sorry.”

A flustered Yeowon readily apologized.

“Then kiss me.”

Sagyeol said brazenly. He fully expected Yeowon to be unable to comply, to hesitate, to be flustered, and then to apologize again.

‘Then I’d say I’d have to do it myself, naturally-‘

His imagination, however, was cut short. Suddenly, Yeowon’s stoic, handsome face was directly before him. Sagyeol’s eyes widened slightly as soft, yielding flesh met his lips.

And those were lips. Yeowon’s lips!

‘Shit.’

The expletive almost escaped his lips. Sagyeol’s hand wrapped around the back of Yeowon’s head, preventing him from pulling away.

This was a kiss initiated by Yeowon himself. He couldn’t let it end so quickly. Sagyeol held onto Yeowon’s firm body tightly. Though Yeowon tensed, he didn’t push him away. That alone made Sagyeol smile in satisfaction.

The fervent kiss continued. Although the intertwining of tongues and the gentle biting of lips were entirely one-sided, Sagyeol paid it no mind.

After all, this was a kiss with Yeowon.

When they finally broke apart after a long moment, Sagyeol’s face was contorted. ‘How could something feel this good?’ he mumbled to himself, a thought straight from his heart, bypassing his brain entirely. Yeowon then asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

“Is it that good?”

His heated heart felt as if it had been doused with ice water. ‘What did he mean by that? Did he not enjoy it himself? No matter how I think about it, that’s the only interpretation!’

However, his subsequent words completely overturned that notion.

“If you like it, we can do more.”

Sagyeol noticed his earlobes were slightly flushed.

Sagyeol smiled languidly and kissed him once more. ‘So this is why people flirt and fall in love,’ he thought.

Sagyeol’s abduction had been a one-time event.

In truth, even the first attempt wouldn’t have succeeded if Yeowon hadn’t been involved. Ultimately, Lee Hyun-su had brought all the guild leader’s work back home. Despite this, his expression was still riddled with worry.

‘Will he actually do the work if it’s left here?’

He had initially feared that if they were together, Sagyeol would just goof off instead of working, but his worries proved unfounded.

Yeowon was so intensely focused on his tasks that Sagyeol had no opportunity to try anything. Moreover, it wasn’t just any work; it concerned the flood damage. Sagyeol, unable to brazenly interfere with such critical matters, seemed to only grind his teeth in frustration rather than acting on it.

In the end, he had no choice but to diligently work while constantly keeping an eye on Yeowon. Lee Hyun-su smiled broadly.

‘I should have done this sooner.’

“Ah, now that I think about it.”

Yeowon, who had been organizing documents, began to speak. Sagyeol, who had been poring over papers as if they were his mortal enemies, tossed a sheet aside and asked, “Why?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much.”

“I’m incredibly eager to hear about that ‘nothing much’.”

Perhaps feeling a slight burden, Yeowon’s already upright posture became even more serious. He set down the documents he was holding.

“There’s something I forgot to mention.”

“What is it?”

“After I fell into the Demon Realm, I somehow ended up becoming a lord.”

“Hmm?”

Sagyeol and Lee Hyun-su exchanged glances. ‘Can one just ‘somehow’ become a lord of the Demon Realm?’ Sagyeol recalled hearing that Yeowon had been a legion commander last time, but he didn’t know the full details either.

While unspoken signals passed between the two, Yeowon continued.

“After being a lord, I met the Demon King and became a legion commander.”

“Right, you were… Wait, what?!”

Sagyeol’s eyes widened.

“You met the Demon King?”

“It happened that way.”

“No, how could that possibly happen…”

“Anyway, what I wanted to say is this: you might already know, but I lack common sense and am clumsy with human relationships and emotional matters. I experienced many unpleasant things while by the Demon King’s side.”

Sagyeol almost asked what those specific incidents were, but he closed his mouth instead.

He knew. Yeowon had called them ‘unpleasant things,’ but they were likely closer to ‘horrific’ or ‘sickening’ matters.

“Why are you only telling me this now?”

Sagyeol’s voice trembled. He was furious, though not at Yeowon. However, misinterpreting the anger in his tone, Yeowon’s expression darkened even further as he spoke.

“I was afraid… you might be disappointed.”

‘You say you like me now, but I was afraid you’d be disappointed after experiencing me.’ Sagyeol’s heart leaped at those words.

“Uh…”

Sagyeol, who could manipulate even formidable guild leaders with a flick of his wrist, now found himself utterly at a loss, only capable of making a foolish sound.

Lee Hyun-su, wearing an expression that seemed to say, ‘What glory could I possibly gain by being stuck between this disgusting couple?’ simply gazed off into the distance.

“Anyway, that’s how it is.”

Sagyeol crept closer and lightly kissed Yeowon’s lips. The sheer cuteness and loveliness were simply unbearable without doing so.

Yeowon’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t push him away. As the brief kiss ended, Sagyeol awkwardly shifted his body.

“Let’s work, Hyun-su.”

“You two are always… M-my words slipped out. Ah, they really did! Is this man insane?! If I get hit by your fist, I’ll be hospitalized, ack! Aaaack!”

After Lee Hyun-su received a few blows.

For a while, only the rustling of papers could be heard.

“How could that be?!”

“My thoughts exactly!”

Sagyeol and Lee Hyun-su simultaneously shot up. Yeowon blinked.

“How can he be so damn adorable!”

“How could he have met the Demon King… Oh, was that what you were talking about?”

“You were talking about that? What’s so important about that?”

“…….”

Yeowon simply couldn’t comprehend why these two were acting this way.

Just then, the elevator opened, and a blood-stained guild member rushed in.

“Guild Leader! The flood area is…!”

“Oh, what is it now?!”

Sagyeol snarled but still rushed out. Yeowon tried to follow, but Sagyeol, having heard the report, vehemently objected, insisting that anything dangerous was strictly off-limits for Yeowon. Consequently, Yeowon was left standing beside Lee Hyun-su. Lee Hyun-su, having called someone to clean up the bloodstains, pressed his temples with his index finger, as if nursing a headache.

“Shouldn’t I go?”

“I’ve already received a rough report. It’s a task requiring overwhelming force, so I’m not needed. All the important documents have been processed, and only minor tasks remain. How about we go to a cafe or something to finish the rest?”

He mumbled, his eyes hollow.

“At this rate, my body will rot alive. If I don’t get some fresh air and caffeine instead of preservatives…”

“…….”

Yeowon agreed. Since it also meant getting some fresh air, they decided to go alone, without a driver. As Lee Hyun-su naturally went to get into the driver’s seat, Yeowon subtly spoke.

“Then… can I drive?”

“? Of course.”

Lee Hyun-su moved aside without much thought. People who always ride comfortably sometimes want to take the wheel themselves, after all.

And then Yeowon parked the car in front of Ifrit, opened the door, and walked in before Lee Hyun-su could stop him. The tinkling sound of the cafe bell seemed to Lee Hyun-su like the tolling of a death knell. He turned into white ash.

‘When the owner returns, I’m dead.’

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