Chapter 63

Siwoo's blue eyes quickly scanned the interior of the hospital room. Beyond Lee Jun's shoulder, he could see Eunha, sound asleep under a white blanket.

Siwoo shifted his gaze back to Lee Jun.

Though Lee Jun's face was expressionless, there was something he couldn't hide. His disheveled hair, his chest rising and falling, and his unsteady breathing all betrayed his agitation.

It was as if he had just rushed in, looking just as anxious and tense as Siwoo.

'Did he run here?'

Did he worry about his senior? Why? Siwoo, feeling a sudden irritation, narrowed his eyes sharply at Lee Jun.

"Why are you here?"

In response to Siwoo's question, Lee Jun remained silent, merely glancing at the sleeping Eunha.

Eunha, who had taken a sedative and was deeply asleep, did not easily wake up to the sound of their conversation.

"Why are you here?"

"……"

"How did you find out that the senior was hospitalized and that she was in this hospital?"

Siwoo interrogated sharply. However, Lee Jun's response was not an answer to the question.

"From what I can see, there doesn't seem to be any serious injury. Did you hear anything?"

Siwoo's eyebrows twitched. It was clear that Lee Jun had no intention of answering Siwoo's previous question.

In that case, Siwoo had no intention of answering his question either.

"I have no information to share with you."

Of course, Siwoo had just arrived at the hospital and had not received any information about Eunha's condition. But even if he had, he would not have shared it with Lee Jun.

Siwoo strode forward, positioning himself between Lee Jun and Eunha.

Thud!

As if to block any further approach, Siwoo extended his arm between them. The strands of hair visible under his hood were gradually turning white.

"Senior is someone I'm protecting. Therefore, I can't share any related information with you, whose allegiance is unknown."

"Protecting?"

Lee Jun, who had been listening quietly, let out a hollow laugh. His twisted lips revealed a strange statement.

"You're protecting Eunha?"

Eunha?

At the unfamiliar name, Siwoo's eyes changed. Ignoring Siwoo's reaction, Lee Jun loosened his neatly tied tie slightly.

"If that's the case, you're doing a poor job. If you were properly protecting her, she wouldn't be lying here in a hospital gown."

Rustle...

The scent of perfume. Siwoo instinctively covered his nose.

It was such a faint scent that an ordinary person might not have noticed, but Siwoo, with his acute sense of smell, immediately recognized it.

This wasn't the scent of perfume or blood.

'Pheromones.'

Perhaps it could also be called a body odor.

Siwoo, frowning with his hand over his nose, said,

"You have no right to say that."

Siwoo remembered clearly.

Eunha's face when he first mentioned Lee Jun's name. Her gaze when she was watching Lee Jun from a distance during the Burst Gate search. Her voice when she recounted her past with Lee Jun.

Though he couldn't describe it in words, everything was slightly different from usual. It was a very subtle difference, but Siwoo noticed it easily.

"Senior wanted to see you."

A faint annoyance clouded Siwoo's blue eyes. He frowned slightly, as if displeased, and clenched his fists before asking again.

"But what about you?"

"……"

For a moment, a strange light flickered in Lee Jun's face. Though it was just for an instant, Siwoo clearly noticed the change.

The strong scent that had filled the room had vanished like smoke.

Was he agitated? Siwoo didn't know. He struck again.

"Are you trying to pretend to be a colleague now? That would be rather amusing, wouldn't it? Maestro."

Eunha and Lee Jun were said to have been colleagues during the turbulent times, working together for a considerable period.

However, the way Lee Jun treated Eunha was far from how one would treat a beloved colleague. It was said that the senior's suspension from activity was due to his influence.

Saving her life and then being locked in the Gate, what kind of ungrateful behavior was that?

'No, more than that.'

What Siwoo disliked most was his attitude when he had come demanding to break off their relationship.

Despite digging into his background, the information on Maestro, the Hunter, was limited due to his mysterious nature and different nationality.

In conclusion, Shin Siwoo did not trust Baek Lee Jun, even if he was the first S-class Hunter of South Korea and a first-generation Hunter like Eunha.

"……"

"……"

Silence fell.

In the quiet room, the only sound was Eunha's faint breathing.

Lee Jun did not back down, and neither did Siwoo. The uncomfortable silence was interrupted by a knock.

"Excuse me─"

The doctor from the hospital then entered.

The doctor, who was about to enter the room, stopped abruptly at the sight of the two men standing off against each other.

"Master? And this one is……"

"Let's call it a day for today."

With the doctor's appearance, Lee Jun, who seemed determined not to back down, surprisingly retreated easily.

As he walked to the door, Siwoo asked,

"Do you plan to report this to the Association?"

Lee Jun knew that Eunha was hospitalized, and possibly even before Siwoo.

This meant that Lee Jun likely knew that Eunha had ignored her suspension and entered the Busan Unknown Gate.

If Lee Jun, who was currently part of the Association, knew this, Eunha would face consequences.

Lee Jun, who had grabbed the doorknob, glanced back.

His ashen eyes curved into a smile.

"Who knows."

Click.

With that ambiguous answer, Lee Jun disappeared.

***

"Excuse me, Sir. It's Park Jehwi."

"Come in."

With Siwoo's permission, Jehwi cautiously opened the door. This was Eunha's adjacent room, 810.

"I heard that you will be staying in the hospital with this Hunter for a while, so I brought some necessary items."

"Just put them there."

Siwoo gestured toward the table beside the sofa. He seemed to be in a bad mood. Jehwi, sensing this, carefully placed the items on the table.

"Um… Sir."

Jehwi hesitated, not leaving the room.

"How is the Hunter?"

"……"

Glance.

Siwoo's blue eyes turned to Jehwi. It was as if a thorn had pierced him, and Jehwi shuddered.

Siwoo, who had been staring at the deflated Jehwi, finally averted his gaze and spoke dryly.

"Considering she's been through two major battles, she's surprisingly fine."

"Is that really true?"

"All her wounds have healed without a scar."

Jehwi let out a sigh of relief. It was really… really fortunate.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the relief, Jehwi rubbed his reddened eyes. Siwoo, noticing this, asked casually,

"Your brother."

"…Yes?"

Siwoo, sitting with his legs crossed, looked at Jehwi with his chin in his hand.

"How is your brother?"

"Ah."

Jehwi blinked slowly.

Brother… he must be asking about Jerym.

"He's fine. He's looking for a part-time job to prepare for his life in Seoul."

"Is that so?"

Siwoo turned his gaze away, seemingly uninterested.

Jehwi, staring at Siwoo's profile, slowly spoke.

"Sir… are you… okay?"

"With what?"

"About staying here. If it's inconvenient, I can stay here in your place."

S Hospital had Gwee Hoon, who was long-term hospitalized. Of course, they were in different wards.

Siwoo, who detested Gwee Hoon, deciding to stay here was something Jehwi couldn't understand.

"If you're going to do that, why did you resign?"

Siwoo coldly threw out the question.

"……"

Jehwi, at a loss for words, lowered his gaze with a complicated expression.

"I've known the senior for a short time, but I've learned one thing."

Siwoo, who had been tapping his foot, suddenly spoke.

"The senior is someone who pays back what she receives, whether it's good or bad."

"……"

"Surely, you must have given her something. Something you wanted to return. Even when the recording failed, even when she jumped into the Gate. So this time, it's your turn."

Siwoo raised his head after saying this.

"Are you going to end it with a resignation?"

Silence fell.

Siwoo said nothing more. He fixed his blue eyes on Jehwi, waiting for his answer.

"I… I want to continue serving the Hunter. I want to continue… serving her."

Somewhere, a faint laugh could be heard. Siwoo, who had finally relaxed a bit, glanced up.

"Then do it."

"…Sir."

Choked. Jehwi, with reddened eyes, moved his lips. Siwoo firmly added,

"But while I'm in the hospital, I'll be by the senior's side. It's only for a week, so it shouldn't be a problem. And─"

Siwoo, who had been leaning his chin, lifted his head.

"The fact that my father is here is a good reason for me to be here."

Moreover, he didn't know what might happen while the senior was hospitalized. For example, if Maestro visited again.

"…Yes, Sir."

Jehwi did not argue with Siwoo's words.

"Then go."

"Ah."

"Why? Do you have more to say?"

Jehwi scratched the back of his neck and hesitated, not meeting Siwoo's eyes.

He wondered if he should tell Sir, but in the end, he spoke hesitantly.

"Actually, during the battle with Jecheon Daeseong, the Hunter's bracelet broke."

"Bracelet?"

Siwoo tilted his head slightly.

"Yes. The bracelet she always wore on her left wrist. I don't know the details, but it seemed very important to her."

The sudden change in Eunha's demeanor when the bracelet broke was still vivid in his mind. The way she stared at the broken bracelet in the car on the way back to Seoul.

"I wanted to get her the same one, but it was really difficult to find, even at accessory stores and online shopping malls. So… I was wondering if Sir might know a place to get a bracelet."

"I don't know. I'm not interested in that kind of thing."

"Y-Yes, I thought so. I'm sorry for the unnecessary question."

Jehwi laughed awkwardly.

Of course, Siwoo wouldn't know a place to buy a bracelet. It would be faster to ask his younger sister.

"But do you really need to buy it?"

Siwoo, who seemed to be thinking, muttered.

"W-Well, even if I find the same one, it won't be exactly the same as the one she cherished… but still…."

"No."

Siwoo looked up at Jehwi.

"Maybe it would be faster to make it yourself."