Chapter 10

　　I asked the Dohyun in the mirror on the wall, but of course, there was no answer.

　　Unable to shake off the uneasy feeling, I wandered the market. Every time I passed, the merchants glared vigilantly and watched my every move.

　　Once again, I was reminded just how low Dohyun’s trust rating was. I’d planned to browse and buy a few different things, but for my own sanity, it seemed smarter to grab only what I needed and get out fast.

　　"Where do you keep the instruments…"

　　"Over there! That way!"

　　Before I’d even finished my question, the merchants all pointed in the same direction like they’d rehearsed it, and as soon as I turned away, they let out sighs of relief.

　　Hmm. Even if I tried, would people’s image of Dohyun really change? It might be easier to just live with the reputation he’d built. As long as I could endure the dirty looks, it’d be fine.

　　No, if I did that, I might not be able to join a raid team later. Because dungeons were closed spaces where you were stuck together for long stretches, the Center only assigned hunters who’d passed personality tests to raid teams to prevent potential infighting.

　　There was no way a place like that would accept a thug like Dohyun.

　　Sighing, I stopped in front of a shop.

　　"Uh… what do you need?"

　　"An instrument I can hold in one hand and shake."

　　The system counted a casual hum as "singing" for Heavenly Conduct, but after actually fighting, I’d realized I really needed an instrument for efficiency. When you’re about to die, you can’t even beg for your life, let alone hum a tune.

　　I looked over the instruments the owner brought out. I was checking out small, one-hand-sized instruments like castanets and maracas when Ariadne’s Thread suddenly appeared.

　　"What?"

　　With its hands clasped behind its back, it carefully examined the instruments, then pointed at a tambourine.

　　"No. That’s too big."

　　It was obviously big enough that I’d need both hands, so I refused, but Ariadne’s Thread ignored me and coiled itself on top of the tambourine.

　　"There are other tambourines."

　　Ariadne’s Thread—ugh, that name was too long. From now on, I’d call it AT.

　　AT dug in its heels, insisting it only wanted the tambourine with the grape design.

　　"Ah, that item’s appearance can be altered, too."

　　And you’re telling me this now? I’d been arguing with AT for ten minutes.

　　Maybe my expression had gotten a bit scary; the clerk, who’d flinched back, crept forward again.

　　"Um… if you’d like, we can change it into something lighter, like a bracelet or a ring."

　　"Then do that."

　　At my words, AT bounced up, rubbed itself against my cheek, then did a little wiggly dance and vanished at my feet.

　　Wait, are the other skills going to be like this, too? Throwing tantrums and doing whatever they want? A sudden unease made me stare at the spot where AT had disappeared.

　　"Shall I make it a bracelet?"

　　Feeling drained, I nodded vaguely and held out Dohyun’s wrist, which was pale and thin enough to snap with a tap.

　　Seriously, man. Ever heard of sunlight?

　　While I clicked my tongue, the transformed tambourine settled around my wrist. I’d worried it might be too flashy, but it was just a simple string bracelet with tiny beads.

　　When I shook my wrist lightly, AT popped out at once and stroked the grape-shaped pendant in the center, clearly pleased. It clung to my wrist, petting the pendant all the way until we finished paying and arrived at the association.

　　"Seong Dohyun. If you knew Hamin was really Hamin, you should’ve given us a heads-up."

　　The association president walked straight over to me as soon as I arrived. Unbelievable.

　　He was the one who’d gone so far as to pull the CCTV footage of the kidnapping, then laughed his head off when I said I’d rescued Hamin, making the kid cry. And now he had the nerve to talk about a heads-up?

　　Who was it that didn’t believe me no matter how many times I said he was the real one? My face hardened, and the president, looking awkward, clapped me on the shoulder.

　　"Do you know how badly Eunseong chewed us out?"

　　"Do I need to?"

　　"Wow, Dohyun. Really?"

　　I stared him down in silence.

　　Under my chilly gaze, he coughed and looked away, then raised his voice like he was the offended one.

　　"It’s because you’re always spouting nonsense. You know the story of the boy who cried wolf, right?"

　　Why should I care?

　　Ignoring his crap, I ground my teeth and sat on the sofa. If the real Dohyun were standing in front of me right now, I’d rip out every last strand of his hair. Why was I suffering for his shitty personality? Sighing, I checked the calendar for the schedule.

　　"What’s on for today?"

　　"Uh, there’s a party at Yuseong. Go keep an eye on things."

　　I snatched the list from his hand and skimmed it. Eunseong would be there.

　　"Ugh."

　　And Jeon Jiyun, too.

　　"Ugh…"

　　The main job for Association hunters like me was to monitor the party venue for any black-market trades of unregistered artifacts. My specific role was to detect suspicious activity and prevent potential fights before they broke out.

　　It wasn’t that much of a hassle, really; actual incidents were extremely rare. Even if the Five Great Guilds had blacklisted him, Dohyun was still one of the few S-class hunters in the country, and every hunter knew how vicious his personality was.

　　No one was crazy enough to start a brawl out of pride, then risk the astronomical medical bills for injuring an uninsured S-class hunter, plus the horrific retaliation that would follow. Not that there were many hunters who could even injure an S-class like Dohyun in the first place.

　　"Oh, right. And don’t you dare show up in a hoodie again. Wear a proper suit."

　　"I don’t own one."

　　"What?"

　　The president gave me a look like I was talking nonsense, but it was true.

　　Dohyun’s closet contained: hoodies in various shades of gray and black, outdoor hoodies, and multiple pairs of black track pants. That was it.

　　"What the hell did you spend your money on?"

　　Dohyun had spent it chasing after Eunseong. I’d spent it getting a place to live.

　　He clicked his tongue at my silence, then tossed me a business card.

　　"I’ll tell the Yuseong Guild Master you’re coming. Go there and borrow a suit."

　　As I stared at the card, AT floated up and guided me. Under a black signboard, a warning was written in red letters.

　　ONLY HUNTERS

　　We are not responsible for any injuries caused by staff.

　　Injured by staff…? What kind of shop was this?

　　I started to back away, but the door opened on its own and the floor began to move. Caught off guard, I ended up in an awkward half-step. There was nowhere to get off, so I had to ride it out like that.

　　A moment later, I arrived at a place that looked like a tailor shop straight out of a movie.

　　"Welcome, Hunter Seong Dohyun."

　　Hm? Did he just say "Seong Dohyun" a little too loudly?

　　After all the crap I’d been through, I wondered if I was getting paranoid, scratching the back of my neck. But no, this wasn’t paranoia; he was doing it on purpose.

　　He repeated the name, even louder, then walked toward me with the sharp click of his shoes.

　　"A pleasure to see you, Hunter Seong Dohyun."

　　Light brown hair, dark navy eyes, and a sleek, oily face. Eunseong’s older brother, Baek Jiseong.

　　I’d had Hamin with me for over a week and been fine, but the instant I saw Jiseong, rage boiled up from somewhere deep inside. If I let go of my reason for even a second, I’d lunge at him. Contempt, fury—all those ugly emotions churned.

　　What the hell was wrong with this body that it went berserk every time it saw a Baek?

　　Even when I blatantly pretended not to see him, Jiseong didn’t leave my side. After a few breaths to calm myself, I finally met his eyes.

　　"Yes."

　　"You’re here to… ha, get a suit fitted, I assume. With what happened with Hamin and all, I’ll take care of it personally."

　　"Do what you want."

　　If this were the original Seong Dohyun, he would have blown his top, demanding to know who they thought they were dealing with and if they were mocking him, before flat-out refusing. But I wasn’t him. They say you’d drink lye if it were free—so why the hell would I turn down an expensive suit when someone else was footing the bill?

　　I eyed Baek Jiseong, who was letting out an awkward, flustered laugh. Shooting him a crooked look, I summoned a clerk.

　　"Show me something suitable for the Yuseong Guild party. Ah, and he will be paying."

　　Settling onto the sofa, I waited for them to bring the clothes while my brain went to work.

　　Why was this bastard suddenly so eager to buy me clothes? If this was about protecting Baek Hamin, Baek Eunseong had already compensated me to a ridiculous degree.

　　So, what kind of change of heart was this? I was glaring at Baek Jiseong when I saw what the staff were carrying over, and a dry laugh escaped my lips.

　　Wow. Oh, I get it. These assholes want me to lose my temper.

　　After the kidnapping incident, the White Domain Guild had garnered a reputation as a useless organization that couldn’t even protect their own nephew. Yet, the one who had accomplished what White Domain couldn’t was Seong Dohyun—that Seong Dohyun, the very man the Baek family loathed.

　　They wanted to provoke me into a tantrum so they could spread rumors like, "What good is skill if his personality is trash?"

　　Just like back in the academy.

　　Grinding my teeth, I picked up a suit that looked like it belonged on a peacock. The options behind it were even worse. I wanted to snark that I hadn’t realized this was Baek Jiseong’s taste, but instead, I conscientiously checked the price tags and made a careful selection.

　　"I’ll take this one."

　　"…Pardon?"

　　What I’d picked was just another version of the peacock suit. Feathers and jewels everywhere—the most expensive thing on the rack.

　　"And give me the matching shoes."

　　Those would be pricey, too. I refused the clerk’s offer to try it on and turned back to Baek Jiseong.

　　"Well then."

　　Without even a nod, offering just a flick of my eyebrow, I dropped back onto the sofa and pretended to browse a magazine while activating the skill Walls Have Ears. Maybe he hadn’t expected me to accept so meekly; looking flustered, Baek Jiseong conferred with his secretary.

　　"What should we do?"

　　"…Pay for it."

　　Clicking his tongue, Baek Jiseong left the shop first. When his secretary pulled out a card to pay, I snapped the magazine shut with a sharp thwack.

　　"You’re paying by card?"

　　"Sorry? Oh, yes. Why do you ask…?"

　　"I just find it surprising that the White Domain Guild doesn’t even have that much cash on hand."

　　I injected every ounce of contempt I could muster into my voice. The moment the words left my mouth, Baek Jiseong, who had just stepped out, stormed back in and paid with a check instead.

　　When the clerk asked if I wanted it gift-wrapped, I didn’t answer, keeping my eyes glued to the magazine. Only when I heard the car door slam on Jiseong’s ride did I finally get up and walk over to the clerk, who was hovering, unsure of what to do.

　　"Please refund all of that."

　　The clerk handed the check back to me with a look that said he’d been expecting this. I picked out the neat suit and shoes I’d had my eye on earlier and paid for them.

　　"Will you be wearing them out?"

　　"Yes."

　　I took the difference in cash—money laundering complete. I was just thinking I should use it to buy some decent armor when I turned around.

　　Shit.

　　Baek Eunseong was suddenly right in front of me. What the hell? When did he get here?

　　Leaning against the doorway at an angle, he was staring at me with a baffled expression.

　　"…Are you going to the party?"

　　"Do I have to answer you?"

　　He sighed and walked over, the clerk in tow.

　　"I thought you might not know tonight’s dress code."

　　Had the association president mentioned that? Puzzled, I rifled through my memory, but I was sure I’d never heard it.

　　I glared at Baek Eunseong, who had stopped in front of the brooch display, keeping my expression brazen. A nasty little doubt crept in—was he lying just to embarrass me again? Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I flicked my hand for him to move.

　　"Whatever. I’m leaving—"

　　"Wait."

　　He picked out a square brooch and reached toward me.

　　"The dress code is…"

　　My suit jacket tugged lightly, and his pink eyes suddenly filled my field of vision.

　　"…gold."

　　His hand left my chest, and he lifted his gaze to meet mine. Then he smiled softly—the exact expression Seong Dohyun truly hated, the one he loathed down to the bone.

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