Chapter 69

August 1st, 2023

Jung Yiheon acted like a child hungry for affection. That’s why. The reason why I couldn’t separate him.

“I don’t know how fortunate it is that Han Chasoo is a member of our guild. It’s really… How someone like you came to our guild. It’s beyond description.”

An arm hugging as hard as it could and a friendly voice whispering in the ear. I could not easily push him away with his desperate attitude as if he would not miss this moment.

The hands that hugged my back flinched in the awkward warmth.

‘Is it because of the present.’

I felt uncomfortable that he was so happy when I hadn’t paid for it. I felt like a devious adult deceiving a child.

“Well, guild leader.”

“Thank you, Han Chasoo-ssi. I really appreciate it.”

Jung Yiheon seemed half out of his mind. I called him again and again, but he didn’t listen to me.

“Sigh….”

Rather, it only gave more strength to the arm that was embraced.

“Ugh.”

It’s so strong that I think my body is almost crushed. I patted him on the back with a half-given-up look.

‘There was a big kid here.’

It was not something I had never done before, but I skillfully soothed Jung Yiheon.

I don’t know how long he’s been there, his hot breath tickling the nape of my neck, when the door opens.

“Han Chasoo-ssi, it’s time to take your supplement…. What are you doing?”

It was the coldest voice I’ve ever heard. I looked at Seo Jung-min with surprised eyes.

The eyes seen over the glasses were pointed like a tack. Perhaps he was not afraid of the S-rank, he ran at once and clasped Jung Yiheon’s shoulder.

“Heavenly Spirit Guild Leader.”

“Oh.”

“If you don’t want to be kicked out, that’s enough.”

Only then could I be released from Jung Yiheon.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Jung Yiheon bowed his head and said it as if he were embarrassed.

“…No. It’s okay.”

While speaking, I looked puzzled. Jung Yi-heun’s red cheeks kept catching the eye.

Even as he spoke, my face remained uncomfortable. Jung Yi-heun’s red cheeks is very eye-catching.

‘Damn it.’

Don’t be embarrassed, I’m more embarrassed.

‘You’re not even a kid anymore.’

I can’t believe he’s agitated after rubbing his cheek once. I’m not even close.

I uttered a small swear word in my mouth and bit the candy Seo Jung-min had brought. He had just left after glaring at Jung Yiheon for the last time, asking me to eat the candy.

Hmmm.

The fresh scent and sour syrup filled my mouth. Is it because of sugar. It revitalized my body. Somehow, I felt more courageous.

“I’m glad you found the gift useful, and I hope you’ll use it well.”

I spoke in an unprecedentedly frank voice. This is because Jung Yiheon’s clingy behavior reminded me of the people I cared for.

Unknown to him, Jung Yiheon looked a little surprised.

Hmm. Cleared his throat, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Of course. Even if you don’t, the guild members asked me to tell you that they are very grateful to you, Han Cha-soo, and that they will make good use of it.”

I nodded. Jung Yiheon said with a grateful look.

“Everyone was grateful, but especially the raiders were very impressed. They had been running low on potions lately, so it was a breath of fresh air.”

My body stiffened slightly at Jung Yiheon’s words.

‘…Wait, you’re running out of potions these days?’

Did it happen because they didn’t have enough storage. The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood up and a chill ran down my spine.

No matter how rich and powerful a large guild is, it can’t be made without one. There is a limit to the supply of reagents and raw materials needed to make advanced potions.

If they have a problem with the potion production because I’ve sweeping the reagents….

‘Somehow, Jung Yiheon was excited over nothing.’

Crack. The hand that grabbed the spirit stone was tense.

He had never rushed in and hugged me even when I saved Jung Seoheon. But now he’s hugging me and rubbing my cheeks because I brought him a few hundred potions.

There must have been a big problem with the supply and demand of potions in the guild.

But I can’t be too sure. I decided to sneak a peek at Jung Yiheon.

“If I hadn’t packed so many reagents when I said I was going into the Frostgiant Dungeon, we wouldn’t have run out of potions…. I’m sorry.”

Jung Yiheon looked at me with surprised eyes. He seemed to have heard something unexpected.

“What are you talking about? Han Chasoo has done nothing wrong.”

“But it’s true that I took an important reagent.”

“Han Cha-soo.”

Jung Yiheon grabbed my wrist tightly with a firm face. The spot where the skin touches was hot.

“How many lives do you think have survived thanks to you?”

“…….”

“No one blames Han Cha-soo. There’s nothing more important in the world than human life. They owe their lives to you. So don’t apologize. Please, I’m begging you.”

His desperate voice filled the hospital room, and I slowly lowered my head. Then Jung Yiheon wrapped his arms around my back once more.

In his arms, I thought.

‘You bastard… even if you make it sound plausible, you’re still saying that I took all the reagents, right?’

Jung Yiheon’s words were very friendly, but he didn’t touch the core.

Thanks to that, I was certain. The reagents and ingredients I had taken were the reason for the disruption in the potion supply.

Just thinking about it sent a chill down my spine.

‘I’m glad I sent the Haetae potion to the Heavenly Spirit Guild.’

I couldn’t count the number of raiders I’d saved in the Frostgiant Dungeon, much less the number of hunters from Heavenly Spirit Guild, a large guild ranked in the top ten in Korea.

In other words, I could have left it in the hands of strangers and earned their resentment.

‘Ha…. It’s really hard to live.’

A cold sweat trickled down my spine.

I thanked Haetae for a while. I realized that Jung Yiheon did not just stop by to say thank you.

After the fierce embrace, he didn’t pull away, but nonchalantly sat back down.

I quietly swept down the spot where his breath had reached, and a low voice was heard.

“I must have brought the wrong thing.”

Jung Yiheon was looking into the spirit stone.

By this time, it should have been born earlier, but he seemed suspicious because there was no news.

“This can’t be right….”

The low voice trailed off in disappointment. The eyes looking at the spirit stone were quite cold.

I coughed in frustration.

‘Did I leave it alone too much?’

Unless I was with Jung Yiheon, I didn’t even look at it, let alone stroke it. It was because it was impossible to predict when the spirit would suddenly wake up.

But suddenly, Jung Yiheon took away the magic stone.

“Are you taking it back?”

Hope glistened in my eye But my expectations soon faded.

“I’ll bring back the right one.”

“What?”

“Come to think of it, I think elemental spirits are better than spirits. They said it usually hatch faster…. I will pick up a spirit stone that can hatch before Han Cha-soo is discharged from the hospital.”

Jung Yiheon added, “I’ll even bring several if I can.”

He was a man who said terrible things casually. I hurriedly rose from my seat and grabbed it.

“I like him.”

“What?”

“He may not be born yet, but he’s already on my hands.”

“But….”

Jung Yiheon looked at the spirit stones and me alternately with conflicting eyes. I can’t back down here. I wrapped my hand around the spirit stone and his hand.

It was to prevent Jung Yiheon from running away with a sprit stone.

Jung Yiheon, whose hands were tied, stared at me with shaky eyes.

“This child is a gift from the guild members and you, the guild leader to me. What do you mean you’re going to throw away such a child just because it can’t hatch early?”

“…….”

“I’d like you to reconsider.”

The red eyes rippled. Jung Yiheon was speechless for a moment. I wasted no time in snatching the spirit stone from his hand.

For the briefest of moments, the spirit stone glowed.

But it was so faint, and both men were so focused on each other, that neither noticed it.

“This guy is enough for me.”

“Sigh….”

“Really.”

Jung Yiheon nodded as he looked at me with a face full of things to say. I smiled at the man who obediently obeyed me.

Although I frowned at the words that followed.

“I brought the items I mentioned earlier and the medicine you were drinking at Yubaek Hospital. I’ll leave it behind, so make sure you eat.”

“You mean the bitter pill?”

“What’s good for the body is bitter for the mouth.”

Jung Yiheon’s gaze fell on the remaining candy. Then he bowed in farewell.

“I’ll come again.”

How many times had I been hugged today.

‘He must be so thankful that I sent them Haetae’s gift.”

The tight embrace was almost too familiar.