Chapter 6

#6. Whether an Angel or a Deer

It didn't take long for the members of Jae-hyun's team to come out of their accommodation after receiving the call. Though it was a short time, it was enough for Jae-in and his brother to be discovered by the guild members. The elevator in one corner of the lobby, with no cover, was surrounded by guild members with keen senses. It was impossible not to be noticed.

"Move. I can't see."

"What's there to see? Stop being a nuisance and go on your way."

"This is where I'm going."

"You must be crazy."

Jae-hyun looked at Alex, who pointed to his back and claimed it was his way, with a look of disgust. How could he call it his way, or whatever, when he had never seen his brother before? He seemed to be out of his mind every time he saw him.

"Stop blocking my angel and move."

"Stop talking nonsense and go, will you."

"Go yourself, you muscle pig. What gives you the right to block the way of an angel?"

"I'm blocking you to avoid contamination. And what do you mean, 'what'? We're brothers."

"Ah, move, I said."

Jae-in's mouth opened wide. It was a natural reaction after listening to the argument between his brother and the guild member. Judging from their casual talk, they seemed to be around the same age, but their level of argument was like that of four or five-year-olds. It was so childish that it made his hands and feet curl up.

"Wow!"

When would be the right time to intervene and stop their argument? Just as Jae-in was timing it, his brother, who had been blocking the way like a wall, was suddenly pushed to the side.

"Oh ho ho. Soo, well done. As expected of our tank."

"That's enough."

Clap, clap. The person who lightly clapped hands was a petite woman, no taller than Jae-in's shoulder. Indeed, Awakened ones were different. Despite her small build, she had the strength to push his brother aside in one go.

"Park Soo-hee!"

"Sorry. You'll understand. We've been fighting with toads for the past hour. Let's cleanse our eyes a bit."

"Why do you have to do it with my brother?"

"I won't eat you. Relax."

While Jae-in was in a slightly awkward situation, his brother was blocking him with Park Soo-hee. In fact, he was in a rather awkward situation.

"Oh! It's not an angel, it's a deer."

"Deer, you say?"

"Whoa! The voice!"

"What's wrong with my voice...?"

"It's like morning dew on a leaf!"

Jae-in had doubted his brother's claim that all the guild members were perverts, but it seemed to be true. The people who approached Alex from behind and chanted "deer, deer" and "dew, dew" were clearly not normal.

"It means it's sweet. But, brother, are you really a deer?"

"Me?"

"Velvet antler!"

"..."

Jae-in felt a chill down his spine. His brother's assessment wasn't harsh, and his attitude wasn't excessive. His brother was simply stating the facts.

'I feel so embarrassed. How can you say such things to my face?'

Unlike Jae-in, who was petrified by the level of embarrassment, the guild members, including Alex, were grinning. Especially the members of Alex's team, who had just returned from fighting swamp toads that oozed yellow pus and emitted a strong stench, were the most enthusiastic.

They cheered for the tank, Park Soo-hee, who was blocking Jae-hyun, and quickly formed a human wall to prevent Jae-in from leaving.

"Ouch!"

"It's okay..."

"Oh my! What a sharp jawline. I cut my finger."

"..."

"I'm sorry, brother. I have to report this. Marriage. Report."

Ah! Jae-in screamed inwardly. He had once seen a video of celebrities reading cringeworthy comments and feeling embarrassed. This situation felt like the real-life version of that, and it made him feel like his soul was flying away.

"Aah, I feel relieved."

"The world looks peaceful."

"I thought it was just talk. But the eye cleansing is real. The more I look, the more my eyes and heart feel at ease."

"Seeing a handsome person makes you feel generous. It's true."

Jae-in hoped his overprotective brother would return soon. Not only Alex, but other guild members also seemed to be in an unusual state. They were still keeping their distance, but they were gradually getting excited, like bears intoxicated by the scent of honey.

*Crash!*

Just as he was wondering what to do with these people, a loud sound of breaking glass came from inside the building, and a cold wind rushed in.

"Alex!"

Jae-hyun, who had thrown Park Soo-hee outside, shouted Alex's name. He was genuinely angry. No matter how much it was a natural instinct to like beautiful and handsome people, why did he have to target his brother? Especially someone who felt uncomfortable with people gathering around him.

*Crack!*

Cracks appeared on the floor, centered around where Jae-hyun stood. It was due to the strength he unknowingly exerted in his legs out of frustration. Just as he was about to use his strength to break through the human wall formed by the guild members,

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down."

"Hey, Jae-hyun! Are you crazy?"

"Stop it!"

"Stop, you lunatic! Do you want to pay for the building repairs again?"

Fortunately, the team members arrived just in time. They managed to hold Jae-hyun back before he could cause more damage to the building, and before the team's operating funds for this month were spent on repairs.

Jae-hyun, who hadn't completely lost his mind, allowed himself to be held back, much to the relief of his team members. If he had truly resisted, even three of them wouldn't have been able to hold him back.

"Ah, let go! What's going on here?"

"Alex and his brother are inside."

"Ugh! Of all people, Alex."

They had guessed it was Alex's team when they saw Soo-hee lying outside the building, but it was indeed the case. They always bickered whenever they met, and it seemed they had clashed again this time.

"Disperse, disperse. If you want to stay in the lobby until morning, keep standing there. I'll count to three. If you don't move by then, I'll take it as a sign that you want to roll around in vomit. One, two, three."

Team leader Park Yeon-hwa drew targets on all the guild members gathered in the lobby. It was a warning that they were her debuff targets. She then hinted that she would use the most vicious non-lethal debuff, a hangover.

Nausea, dizziness, headache, muscle pain, and stomachache. The hangover debuff, which simultaneously tormented the upper and lower body, was notoriously infamous.

"Ugh! It's like cockroaches."

"Kim Na-eun, be careful with your words."

"Yes."

As soon as Park Yeon-hwa's warning ended, the guild members quickly moved away from Jae-in. Although they moved away, only a few went to do their work. The rest entered spectator mode from a distance.

She couldn't get rid of all the guild members, but she was satisfied. They were all stubborn and disobedient, and this was the best she could do.

"Team leader! Hurry up."

While Park Yeon-hwa was giving a final intense glare, Jae-hyun and the other team members immediately moved. Even though they had received a warning, guild members could change their attitude at any time. They needed to get Jae-in out of the guild building quickly.

* * *

Park Yeon-hwa's team members, who had safely put Jae-in in the car, couldn't hide their sense of relief. Despite the short time they spent together, it felt like they were forcibly separating from a family member, leaving them feeling regretful and uncomfortable.

"Team leader, is Jae-hyun crazy? How could he think of bringing his brother to the guild?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"Why did he bring him when only our team members were around? What if his brother misunderstands?"

"Hmm..."

"Does he think we're all perverts too?"

"I don't think so. His heart is as angelic as his face."

Jae-hyun's brother was someone who deserved protection, to the point of feeling embarrassed by the excessive praise. His national-level beauty, with a kind face and a good figure, needed to be protected. For their own enjoyment, and for the advancement of human civilization.

"Sean, what do you think? What about Jae-hyun's brother?"

"Beauty doesn't discriminate by race or gender."

"What do you mean, brother?"

"It means he's handsome. Sean seems to be smitten too."

Nod, nod. Sean, who was usually the quietest and most serious in the team, nodded immediately at the team leader's words. He wasn't smitten to the point of infatuation, but he felt a desire to be kind. The results would be the same, though.

'Is it an awakened ability? I've never met someone who makes your eyes and heart feel good just by being nearby.'

Jae-hyun's brother was someone who didn't need any additional words. The moment you saw his face, you naturally felt the urge to be kind.

Who would want to dislike someone who looked like that? Except for someone like Alex, who couldn't tell right from wrong and approached recklessly, no one would treat him casually.

"Aah! I already miss him."

"Me too."

"Hehe. Indeed, one should live a good life. Look. Because we usually live a good life, we get to see someone like an older brother."

"Right. It's all because we are good people who cherish our comrades."

"We should play with him when we get back to the accommodation."

Kim Na-eun, who had come to tease Jae-hyun, completely forgot and shamelessly praised herself, but the two of them pretended not to notice. They were proud of themselves for not ignoring Jae-hyun's SOS and felt satisfied with seeing Jae-in up close. A little shamelessness was forgivable.

* * *

Jae-in, who had safely left the guild building with the help of his brother's Striker team members, had a stunned expression. The Strikers, who he had researched online, were not like this. He was curious why the guild members of his brother's guild were acting this way.

"...Are they all under some spell?"

Jae-hyun wanted to hit his chest at his brother's softly spoken words. What spell? They were under the spell of his brother's appearance.

'I knew he lacked self-awareness, but I didn't think it was this bad.'

How shocked he was this morning when he drove his brother to the studio. He even suspected for a moment that his brother had visited a clinic without his knowledge. The radiant presence that made him catch his breath, even though they had grown up together since birth, must have been even more overwhelming to others. It was natural for people to swarm around him like moths.

"Brother, if someone offers you something delicious and asks you to go with them, don't follow. Understand?"

"What are you talking about? Do you know how old I am?"

"I can't let this go. I'll get a mental protection item. Don't go out until I bring it."

"What?"

"There are some crazy Awakened who can control people's minds and make them do as they please. They're caught by the authorities and the guild as soon as they're discovered, but there are slippery ones everywhere."

It wasn't easy to brainwash or control a high-level being like a human for a long time. However, there were quite a few Awakened who could do it for a few hours or days. Such people often committed crimes.

They would use their superpowers to control people and take very private videos or photos, using them to extort money. Or they would make people commit crimes and then blackmail them. There was a time when organizations that specialized in such activities were rampant.

"Those guys pretend to be ordinary people. You have to be careful. You're an easy target."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you're a perfect target."

"...Okay. I'll be careful."

It seems that the four days of online research were not