Ryu Sunghyun let go of me after safely landing below.
“Are you really leaving?”
“Ahem, yeah. Nothing more for me to do here.”
I coughed awkwardly, putting some distance between us. Embarrassment hit me belatedly, and my face felt hot.
Honestly, I was just grateful Ryu Sunghyun hadn’t grilled me for mistaking the fifth floor for the second and jumping out the damn window.
“Hunter Kwon Taehyuk... will be waiting.”
“I’ll contact him later.”
“Didn’t you say you don’t have a phone?”
“....”
It had been a throwaway excuse, but I didn’t expect him to pull it out now of all times.
I turned my gaze away and pretended not to hear. Sorry, but time was slipping away even now. I couldn’t stop thinking about Cha Sahyeon, still alone, waiting for me. And I needed to find somewhere to hide before sunrise.
I moved past Ryu Sunghyun, trying to leave, but he stopped me again.
“Cover Hunter. Could you... just this once, take Hunter Kwon Taehyuk’s car?”
I caught the emotion behind his voice and sighed, turning to face him.
“If I was going to do that, I wouldn’t have jumped out the window, would I?”
“Your injury is severe. Even if a C-rank supporter treated you—”
“I’m standing just fine. As long as I can walk, I’m good.”
“Still—”
“Deputy Guildmaster.”
He kept trying to persuade me with a look full of regret, so I had to shut him down.
“You don’t need to feel guilty. Or like you owe me anything.”
“......”
“I told you already. Circle Guild could win this.”
Whether I believed it or not, it was objectively true when judged purely by strength.
‘Park Heeseok? Please.’
In the previous timeline, he might have pressured us with guild size, but he never dared challenge Ryu Sunghyun directly. Not even once.
Sure, Ryu hadn’t unlocked his full potential back then, just like now. But even among S-ranks, there’s a difference. Ryu Sunghyun and Park Heeseok weren’t in the same league.
“I just tagged along at the last minute. All I did was provide a tiny bit of help.”
No matter how much effort I put into avoiding Circle’s defeat, if Ryu hadn’t found the resolve to fight like a proper dealer, it would’ve been a disaster.
During the match, I hadn’t done much. I avenged Kim Suho by taking down the three who attacked him and stalled Park Heeseok for a while. That was it.
“The shoulder injury was my own fault for letting my guard down. So please, don’t worry about it.”
Ryu Sunghyun stared at me for a long moment, his expression complicated, before finally speaking up.
“...To be honest, I have a lot I want to ask.”
A breeze ruffled his hair, revealing his golden-brown eyes looking straight at me.
“You suddenly joined as a mercenary. You believed we could win. So many things that don’t make sense...”
I stayed quiet, a bitter smile forming under my mask.
When Ryu said “we,” I wasn’t part of it anymore. I already knew that, but hearing it from him still stung.
“It’d be a lie to say I don’t feel any guilt or debt.”
“......”
“But that’s not all I feel.”
Then, awkwardly, Ryu smiled. A soft, genuine expression.
“Thank you, Cover Hunter.”
“......”
“For believing in us. For helping us win.”
Thump.
My heart pounded. At the same time, the system interface lit up in front of me.
《Ryu Sunghyun’s Affection Increased!》
《Hidden Quest Unlocked!》
《Hidden Quest: Earn Ryu Sunghyun’s Trust – Part One (S-rank)》
《Hidden Quest: Earn Ryu Sunghyun’s Trust – Part One (S-rank) – Complete!》
《Reward for Completing Hidden Quest Granted.》
《Ryu Sunghyun’s Affection Increased!》
Same message as the one I got with Kwon Taehyuk. Affection went up, quest cleared, another affection boost as a reward.
The system window announcing people’s feelings still creeped me out—it was unsettling and invasive—but I couldn’t deny the flutter in my chest, knowing I’d left a good impression on Ryu Sunghyun.
“So... I want to help you too, Cover Hunter.”
He stepped closer as I stood there, stunned, and smiled again.
“If you’re okay with it... could I at least know your face—or your name?”
“...That’s...”
“I don’t have any ulterior motives. It’s just... if you ever need help, I’d like to be someone you can reach «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» out to without hesitation.”
His tone was careful the whole time. He was clearly afraid I’d misunderstand, but even so, he didn’t pull back or change the subject.
I could tell he genuinely wanted to support me. That made it even harder.
It’s not like I wanted to run around in this ridiculous mask. And refusing Ryu Sunghyun’s request wasn’t easy.
But revealing my identity...
[We’re going to protect them.]
[Run, Seohu.]
“......”
Their voices from the dream lingered in my ears.
The more Ryu Sunghyun and Circle Guild got involved with me, the more danger they’d be in. From the Seed of Catastrophe embedded in Cha Sahyeon, to the lab conducting human experiments, to the incidents that kept unfolding around me.
Nothing had been resolved. The ground beneath my feet was fragile, ready to collapse at any moment. How could I accept Ryu’s hand under these circumstances?
‘You already made up your mind.’
The moment I ran away from the lab with Cha Sahyeon, I resolved to shoulder this alone, to not rely on anyone else.
Swallowing the surge of emotion, I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, Deputy Guildmaster.”
“......”
“Catching me when I was falling earlier—that’s more than enough to repay the favor. Anything more would just be a burden.”
I couldn’t bear to see his disappointed expression, so I quickly turned away.
“I’ll be going now, for real.”
“...Understood.”
Ryu accepted the firm rejection quietly.
I was honestly relieved he didn’t try to stop me again. If he had, I wouldn’t have been able to resist. I left like I was running away.
Cover scaled the wall and vanished in the blink of an eye, with agility no one would expect from someone injured.
Ryu Sunghyun stood still for a long while, watching Cover’s retreating figure disappear into the shadows.
“Haah...”
It was almost dawn now, but the darkness felt heavier than ever.
He worried whether it was truly okay to let Cover leave alone like this. But as Cover said, anything more would only be a burden.
After a long sigh, Ryu finally turned away. Re-entering the building through the back, he returned to the waiting room and tidied up the space before heading to the main entrance, where Kwon Taehyuk was waiting by the car.
Kwon Taehyuk, leaning against the vehicle, spotted Ryu approaching alone.
“Why are you alone? Where’s Cover?”
“Ah... well...”
Ryu smiled awkwardly, unable to answer right away. Kwon Taehyuk raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t tell me he ran off again?”
“He said he’d get in touch later.”
“Yeah, right,” Kwon Taehyuk muttered with a scowl, clicking his tongue.
“I figured. It’s not the first time he’s vanished like this.”
“Really?”
Ryu thought back to how Cover had thrown himself out the window without hesitation. It definitely wasn’t his first time doing that.
Kwon Taehyuk, arms crossed, eyed Ryu up and down.
“Doesn’t seem like you got what you wanted from that conversation either.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t expecting to.”
He had hoped that, since Cover had helped them, he could offer something in return. But he never seriously expected the man to reveal his name or face.
...Well, maybe he had hoped a little. That might explain why he felt so off right now.
Seeing how Cover let his guard down with him more than with others made Ryu Sunghyun hope. Hope for more.
Looking back, he realized that was selfish. Cover was probably overwhelmed, helping simply out of pity, only to have someone push in too close, too fast.
‘I guess I acted like I’d never see him again...’
Only now did he realize his mistake. No wonder Cover had fled.
Ryu sighed and rubbed his tired eyes—only to suddenly remember something.
‘Damn it.’
He’d completely forgotten to return the gloves Cover had lent him.
Frustrated, he quickly removed the gloves and stored them in his inventory. He’d make sure to keep them safe—and give them back if they ever met again.
Still oblivious to the meaning behind the gift, Ryu Sunghyun made that empty promise to himself.

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