As Cha Seohu followed Ryu Sunghyun and Song Jiwoon into the building, he saw that the guild was much livelier than before.
There were many unfamiliar faces, and people were gathered here and there, laughing and chatting excitedly.
He’d heard that new Hunters had officially begun their activities a few days ago, and the atmosphere seemed even better than expected.
‘That’s a relief.’
Cha Seohu quietly exhaled in relief.
Circle Guild had gained sudden fame thanks to Ryu Sunghyun stepping forward publicly and the new S-rank Hunter Song Jiwoon joining as the next guildmaster.
In the midst of all that, they’d recruited new guild members, which made it likely for some strange people to slip in. That’s why he’d been cautious, but now that he saw it for himself, it didn’t seem like something to worry about.
If someone truly dangerous had made their way into the guild, he would’ve done whatever it took to kick them out.
‘Though I’d probably get scolded by Sunghyun-hyung during the process...’
He could already imagine the words—“Why are you meddling in our guild’s affairs?”
Still, letting the guild get hurt because he didn’t step in would’ve been far worse than hearing that kind of thing a few times, Seohu truly believed.
“Oh! Hunter Cha Seohu!”
“Hello!”
On their way toward the stairs, some of the existing guild members recognized Seohu and greeted him warmly.
To the regressed Cha Seohu, these were familiar faces, and to them, he was the Supporter who’d helped them in a B-rank dungeon and occasionally dropped by as a friendly guest.
Kim Suho and Yoo Harin appeared holding documents, smiling brightly and waving. Then they spotted Kwon Taehyuk beside Seohu and began whispering to each other.
“Whoa, even the Yesung Guildmaster is here.”
“Why does he come here so often...?”
Apparently, the guild members had noticed that Kwon Taehyuk always followed like a shadow whenever Seohu visited Circle.
Their whispers were loud enough for even Seohu, a Supporter, to hear clearly—so there was no doubt Kwon Taehyuk had heard them too. Yet he remained completely unfazed, not a flicker of expression on his face.
Kim Suho and Yoo Harin’s eyes widened again as they spotted Eun Woojeong entering behind them.
“W-Wow! Eun Woojeong!”
“No way. That’s my first time seeing a real celebrity!”
There was no way their excited, flustered voices didn’t carry. Eun Woojeong, who usually posed as an ordinary civilian, must have figured it was okay to acknowledge them and gave a gentle smile and wave.
That dazzling smile seemed to draw the two of them in like moths to flame.
“Wow, he’s handsome...”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Um, hello...! C-Could I maybe get an autograph...?”
“Of course.”
Eun Woojeong responded with excessive kindness, giving out autographs and handshakes. Watching that polished fan service made Cha Seohu feel a little queasy.
“Alright, he’s here as a guest. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
Seeing how the attention of even more guild members was starting to gather, Ryu Sunghyun stepped in at just the right moment to shut it down.
Though they were playful, the two younger members obediently backed off as soon as Sunghyun intervened.
With the situation handled, Ryu Sunghyun led the group toward the representative’s office, speaking a bit sheepishly.
“Maybe it’s because we’ve had so many new arrivals lately, but it’s kind of noisy today.”
Noticing his embarrassment, Seohu smiled and replied,
“Eh~ It’s fine. It’s actually nice being welcomed so warmly.”
“......”
From behind, Kwon Taehyuk—watching Seohu act all sweet and playful toward Ryu Sunghyun—lowered his gaze ever so slightly.
As they opened the office door, ‘Song Jiwoon’ greeted them all with a soft smile.
“Welcome, Seohu.”
The greeting was warm and kind.
Knowing full well that someone else was inside that seemingly gentle body, Cha Seohu responded with little more than a curt, “Yeah.”
“You must’ve been busy lately. I was starting to worry since you hadn’t been by.”
“Well, there’s been a lot going on.”
“Hmm, and now you’ve brought guests too...”
Song Jiwoon added with a faintly disappointed tone.
At his words, which subtly invoked familiarity, the eyes of Kwon Taehyuk, Ryu Sunghyun, and Song Jiwoon narrowed slightly—but Seohu himself looked uninterested.
‘He’s basically saying, “You finally show up, and you bring a bunch of nuisances with you...”’
To be honest, Seohu had planned to meet only with Sahyeon in secret, since there were too many questions he could only solve by talking with “Chronos,” not “Song Jiwoon.”
But he changed his mind. As long as Sahyeon was by his side, Chronos could always sneak out of Yesung later using his shadow skill. So there was no need to rush.
And besides, he’d promised to explain what happened in the Great Dungeon to Taehyuk, Sunghyun, and Jiwoon. He also wanted to check out Circle’s newly revitalized atmosphere.
‘...Eun Woojeong tagging along wasn’t part of the plan, though.’
But since he was a main character and already involved in a lot, Seohu hadn’t pushed him away.
‘The problem is, there’s no real link I can use to bridge “Eun Woojeong the actor” and myself.’
And that was entirely Eun Woojeong’s fault for insisting on coming along.
While Seohu let out a quiet sigh, Song Jiwoon turned his attention toward Eun Woojeong.
“Oh, aren’t you an actor? What brings you here?”
“Ah~ I have a bit of a connection with Hunter Cha Seohu. I know a few of the others here too. Isn’t that right?”
“Ahh.”
Just like Jiwoon earlier, Eun Woojeong deliberately gestured toward Seohu as he spoke, curling his eyes in a smug smile.
With Eun Woojeong grinning at one side and Song Jiwoon smiling at the other, Seohu—trapped between them—visibly darkened by the second.
“Let’s cut the chatter and sit.”
He had no idea how much time had already been wasted on pointless introductions.
Dragging Cha Sahyeon—who looked horrified by the crowd of bulky men—Seohu led them to the sofa.
“There’s something I need to tell you all.”
As soon as everyone was seated, Cha Seohu got straight to the point.
The opening lacked any kind of soft build-up, but that couldn’t be helped. This lineup wasn’t suited for polite small talk over tea.
‘And it’s all men in here—I can’t breathe.’
Even with his beloved Ryu Sunghyun and Song Jiwoon present, this was no exception.
“We made a promise in the Great Dungeon. That I’d explain things once we got out. About the flower we found in the boss room... and about my brother.”
“......!”
Across from him, Kwon Taehyuk’s fingertips twitched ever so slightly.
Seohu’s words quickly swept away the idle energy in the room. The S-ranks, now fully alert, released faint traces of aura unconsciously.
Everyone except for Song Jiwoon—who sat at the head of the room with his chin propped up, watching with interest—turned their eyes toward the young boy sitting next to Seohu.
Thanks to the choker item he wore, the boy looked like an elementary schooler. Yet despite the piercing stares directed his way, he remained unfazed.
Normally, one would grow tense or uncomfortable under such intense pressure. But Cha Sahyeon didn’t show a flicker of reaction.
And everyone present knew exactly why.
Seohu, seeing the expected response, calmly spoke.
“No need to stiffen up. It’s hard to believe, but Cha Sahyeon is a person—completely stable. He’s not some wild monster that attacks everything in sight.”
“...I apologize.”
Only then did Kwon Taehyuk realize his mistake and offer a sincere apology.
Even if the boy was an irregular whose presence was overwhelming just by being there—he was still Seohu’s younger brother. Treating him with such obvious caution was unacceptable.
Feeling ashamed, Taehyuk bit his tongue and recalled what happened in the dungeon.
The image of Seohu, looking deeply bitter as he watched his brother standing alone and separated from the others, lingered in his mind. That must’ve happened more than once.
Seohu was someone who, from what Taehyuk had seen, treasured his younger brother dearly.
At first, he’d assumed they were siblings relying on each other after losing their parents. Victims, kidnapped and experimented on by a vile organization. A tragic but close-knit pair.
After learning how Seohu had actually grown up in the district, the picture shifted somewhat—but the fact that Seohu had protected Sahyeon without anyone to lean on remained unchanged.
‘And here I am, treating his brother like this...’
Guilt gnawed at him, and he couldn’t even offer a defense. While Kwon Taehyuk quietly berated himself and reflected deeply—
“I’m not even sure where to begin. So...”
Cha Seohu scratched his forehead with a complicated expression.
“To be honest, Cha Sahyeon and I first met in the lab where the human experiments were taking place.”
He dropped a bombshell.
Kwon Taehyuk stared blankly at him for a moment, then belatedly responded.
“...What?”
“Technically, I was kidnapped right after leaving the district, and Sahyeon had already been there before me.”
“...What?”
“Well, to put it simply—”
Cha Seohu said in a ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) clear voice.
“Sahyeon and I aren’t biological brothers.”
“......”
Kwon Taehyuk froze solid.

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