Chapter 20

Heero had always been someone who couldn’t stand being alone. Words like ‘eating alone,’ ‘going alone,’ or ‘watching movies alone’ didn’t exist in his life. Why would anyone go to those places alone when they could be with someone? He almost always went out with a date, and when he didn’t have one, he would bring along his deputy guild master, Kyungjin, or his team members. If no one was available, he would rather choose to go hungry.

The reason he started a guild as soon as he became an adult was actually because he didn’t want to eat alone. Would you believe that? He had never told anyone, but Heero really did create the Sooryun guild for such a trivial and silly reason.

For the past five months, Heero had been trying to woo Dasol. The one who had suffered the most during those five months was Kyungjin. He was busy with his duties as the deputy guild master, yet he had to come out every time Heero wanted to eat. It didn’t seem like he disliked it, but Heero, being human, was somewhat aware of the burden he placed on others.

If Kyungjin was unavailable, then Soohyuk; if Soohyuk was unavailable, then Yejin. They even went to trendy spots with high schooler Rina. Although Dasol had turned him down every time, it was only in one-on-one situations; they had often eaten together under the pretext of team gatherings.

However, Heero knew well how uncomfortable it was to have a team leader who constantly asked for meals. No matter how much they were guild members who shared joys and sorrows, Heero was still their employer.

So, he felt like there was a small thorn stuck in his foot the whole time. Now, Jeongeun, who had volunteered to help with the Guild Master’s unrequited love, seemed like a ray of light.

“Teachers are supposed to guide their students right next to them.”

Even though he still had no real interest in Jeongeun and didn’t think there was anything to learn from him, Heero insisted on this in his mind. In truth, he also wanted to hear some comfort from Jeongeun.

‘What a kid.’

Heero coldly mocked himself. But even if he acted like a love-starved child, there was nothing he could do about it. Hyun Heero had lived for 28 years like that.

A child suffering from affection deprivation. No matter how strong a hunter he was, or how much others praised him, that was the essence of Hyun Heero.

This morning, as soon as he opened his eyes, he answered dozens of messages piled up on Hunter Talk and entered the chat window with Dasol.

After sending the morning greeting that started yesterday, Heero exited the chat window without waiting any longer. Dasol usually read messages one or two hours later. His replies were mostly short or just a heart emoji.

In contrast, Jeongeun replied immediately.

Heero had felt this before, but Jeongeun was strangely lively and polite when chatting via text. His socially adept and polite tone, along with his punctuation, gave the impression of talking to a woman.

Heero didn’t know why it was so funny. He stifled a laugh as he replied.

“Not yet?”

Heero laughed as he read Jeongeun’s message aloud. The more he saw it, the more amusing it became.

This time, the reply came a little late.

Of course, the answer was yes.

**

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

While he was being cute in texts, in person, he was expressionless and spoke in a military tone. Heero looked at Jeongeun with interest as he picked up his fork and knife. After cutting the bacon and pancakes into bite-sized pieces, Heero switched plates with Jeongeun.

“Eat what I’ve cut for you.”

“...Th-thank you.”

Seeing Jeongeun’s ears turn red and his stuttering, it seemed he had indeed sent those cute messages.

As Heero cut another pancake, he asked, “Do you usually not eat breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“There are people like that. Those who can’t eat much in the morning. But it’s important to eat three meals a day regularly.”

“Yes. I’ll try to do that.”

“Don’t skip lunch just because you’re full from breakfast.”

When Heero said this in a commanding tone, Jeongeun replied with a more confident expression than before.

“I usually eat lunch around three or four, so it’s fine.”

“Three or four? Isn’t that too late? Then what time do you eat dinner?”

Jeongeun quickly answered Heero’s surprised question.

“I usually don’t eat dinner.”

“...?”

Heero had noticed that Jeongeun had visibly lost weight compared to a year ago since the first time he saw him. He must have been seriously injured. If his innate mana grade had dropped, it wouldn’t have been a normal injury. So he thought that was why he had lost weight.

“Jeongeun, are you... on a diet?”

So he wasn’t eating.

“I’m not. It’s just... I’ve gotten into the habit of eating one meal a day. Of course, I was planning to change that.”

Jeongeun said, slightly flustered. Watching him talk about eating one meal a day as if it were his strength, Heero suddenly recalled where Jeongeun had been before joining the Sooryun guild.

“Did those people at the wall inspector’s office not feed you?”

“It wasn’t that they didn’t feed me; I just didn’t eat.”

Jeongeun replied in a stiff voice. Whether he was defending them or himself, it wasn’t a response that Heero particularly liked.

Heero smiled faintly and matched his tone.

“Right, they weren’t obligated to feed you.”

The office with two wall inspectors. He had only met one of them, and he couldn’t remember their face or name well, but Heero vaguely remembered how the wall inspector treated Jeongeun. What was it? Did they say he was like a homeless person who occasionally got food? He seemed to have used some curses in that description.

So, in the end, Jeongeun had voluntarily reduced his meals because he felt uncomfortable with the poor treatment. It wasn’t funny at all. A grown man over 180 cm tall living on just one meal a day? Just to avoid being kicked out of that place?

Creak. Clang.

The knife cutting the pancake scratched the bottom of the plate unpleasantly. At the same time, the plate broke cleanly along with the pancake.

“Guild Master...?”

Jeongeun blinked his gentle purple eyes and looked at Heero with concern. Heero had thought Jeongeun’s eyes were sharp and fierce before, but now they looked so innocent that he could believe they were the eyes of a baby.

Ah... I really get frustrated and annoyed when I see this kind of person.

“I’ll take responsibility for breaking the plate. Please give it to me.”

In the meantime, Jeongeun seemed worried about what Heero would say if he broke the plate, so he was switching plates with Heero.

“Jeongeun.”

Heero put down his knife and fork and grabbed Jeongeun’s wrist. He felt Jeongeun’s body stiffen.

“From now on, eat three meals regularly at eight in the morning, twelve at noon, and six in the evening. When nothing is going on, eat with me, and on days you can’t eat with me, I’ll have it delivered to the team lodging. And make sure to take a confirmation shot every time you eat. Got it?”

But what if I get annoyed? Should I really get angry at someone who has developed a habit of eating one meal a day just because he’s trying to be considerate?

Then Jeongeun would probably lower those purple eyes and quietly say he was sorry. He would maintain a calm expression, trying to act nonchalant, just like when he went to deal with the cracks while wearing a muzzle or when he silently endured Semi’s insults.

“From now on, you’re going to eat three meals a day.”

“Are you saying... with you, Guild Master?”

“Yes, with me.”

Jeongeun’s face gradually brightened. He nodded vigorously.

Oh, this fool is so happy after making me frustrated.

Heero released Jeongeun’s wrist and called a restaurant staff member. After explaining about the broken plate and ordering the same menu again, Heero glanced at Jeongeun. He saw the corners of Jeongeun’s mouth twitching slightly, as if he was trying to hold back laughter.

‘...Is it good to eat with me?’

Of course, most people liked eating with Heero. Even Kyungjin, when called as a mere bystander, would say, “This is why I joined the Sooryun guild.” Other team members welcomed the chance to eat expensive meals with Heero’s money.

But no one had been as secretly and purely happy as Jeongeun. Like a child who received a precious gift, he smiled as if he were savoring the joy, peeking at it whenever he thought of it. All just because of an invitation to share a meal.

Watching him made Heero feel frustrated, and since he also disliked eating alone, he had said it out of anger. Why was he so happy?

Heero jokingly asked, trying to lighten the mood, “What’s this, Jeongeun? Do you like me? Why are you so happy?”

However, upon hearing that question, Heero realized he had made a mistake when he saw Jeongeun’s face turn pale.