Chapter 97

Hae-gun’s penthouse remained overwhelmingly vast and desolate. Even with daylight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling glass and luxury furnishings accenting the halls, the profound sense of emptiness never quite faded.

In truth, despite the sprawling square footage, the functional layout was remarkably sparse. The only spaces in active use were the master bedroom and the adjoining dressing room; the doors to the remaining rooms were kept permanently shut.

“Where should I put my luggage?”

“Unpack it in the dressing room.”

“But that’s your private space, Hae-gun-ssi.”

“And?”

“Putting my things in there… wouldn’t that be intrusive?”

Stashing his belongings in the homeowner’s personal wardrobe felt inappropriate, but Hae-gun appeared utterly indifferent to such social boundaries. Recalling the impeccably organized room from his previous visit, Eui-rim hesitated.

“If there’s a spare room, I’ll put it there.”

“Oh dear. There are no spare rooms.”

“What about the rooms on the second floor?”

Though he had never ventured upstairs, he knew three or four rooms lined the second-floor gallery. Was it because they lacked furniture? Even an empty floor would be fine.

“If it’s because of bedding, I can order some.”

“No, it’s not the bedding. The upstairs rooms can’t be used right now. They’re storage.”

“Storage?”

Glancing toward the upper landing, Eui-rim caught the enigmatic smile curving Hae-gun’s lips. He has no intention of explaining. While mildly curious, Eui-rim had no right to pry into the homeowner’s secrets.

Come to think of it, an S-rank hunter of Hae-gun’s caliber would possess specialized artifacts and classified gear requiring tighter security than the guild could offer. Hae-gun had mentioned choosing this estate specifically for its defense wards.

Letting out a quiet breath, Eui-rim yielded. “Then… excuse my intrusion.”

Lifting his suitcase, Eui-rim walked toward the dressing room with Hae-gun following close behind. Walking ahead in someone else’s private home felt utterly surreal, especially for someone who had never once stayed over at an acquaintance’s place.

Stepping inside the dressing room, an empty section immediately caught his eye. When he had seen it before, every rack had been filled with designer coats and suits, but now an entire closet stood completely cleared out.

“Do you need more space?”

Startled by the whisper brushing his ear, Eui-rim flinched back. Rubbing the nape of his neck where Hae-gun’s breath had grazed him, he answered, “No, this is plenty. But… when did you clear this out?”

“I called the property manager earlier. Come out once you’ve settled your things. Let’s eat.”

Amused by Eui-rim’s flustered retreat, Hae-gun chuckled and lightly tousled his hair before strolling out of the room. Eui-rim watched him leave, then pulled his suitcase toward the empty rack.

I’m losing my mind. I can’t stand racking up emotional debts like this…

Even knowing Hae-gun’s hospitality was born of genuine care, accepting it felt overwhelming. Knowing that Hae-gun despised physical contact and normally barred anyone from entering his personal space only made the gesture heavier.

After hanging his few shirts and trousers, half the suitcase remained empty. The rest consisted of daily necessities—his laptop, notebooks, and charging cables. The dilemma was where to place them.

Without a dedicated bedroom, where do I put these? I can’t just litter someone else’s living room with my clutter.

In the end, he decided to leave the suitcase flat on the floor of the empty closet bay, neatly arranging his electronics inside.

“Mmm.”

Seeing my plain clothes hanging beside tailored designer suits is mortifying. His cheeks warmed with embarrassment.

It’s only for a few days. As soon as my head clears, I’ll return home. I can repay his hospitality with the intelligence I hold.

Taking a deep breath, Eui-rim called up his status window. The translucent blue panel materialized before him, and he reviewed the updated metrics line by line.

No matter how many times he looked, seeing C-rank displayed beside his name felt foreign. If not for the glaring status abnormality warning at the bottom, he would have suspected he was staring at a stranger’s profile.

Hesitating briefly, he tapped the glowing entry for 〈Lantern upon the Boundary〉. An amber notification flashed, unfurling a new system prompt. Taking a slow, steady breath, Eui-rim read the update.

{Notice}

– Foresight Available for Viewing

I need to review this before having a serious conversation with Hae-gun. Though they had discussed past anomalies in broad strokes, knowledge of the future remained untouched. Even if Hae-gun refrained from asking, he was undoubtedly waiting. Part of Eui-rim wanted to delay it, dreading whatever new catastrophe the foresight would reveal… but with nowhere left to run, he braced himself.

Don’t panic, no matter what it shows.

Even if anomalies had distorted the Isolation Ward and Utopia, as long as the Fragments sought to return to the Origin, the overarching calamity wouldn’t diverge drastically from the previous timeline.

“…Alright.”

“What’s alright?”

Holy shit, you scared me to death.

The voice startled him so badly he jumped as though electrocuted. Eui-rim spun around to glare at Hae-gun, who was leaning against the doorframe holding a pair of cooking tongs.

“Could you make some sound before walking in?”

“You were crouching there with such a grave look, I wondered what on earth you were plotting.”

Taking Hae-gun’s outstretched hand to pull himself upright, an awkward flush warmed Eui-rim’s cheeks. When Eui-rim quickly let go, Hae-gun glanced at his own empty palm before breaking into an easy smile.

“If you’re done unpacking, let’s eat. The beef will get cold.”

“Meat?”

Eui-rim’s eyes widened at the unexpected offer.

Seo Hae-gun smiled crookedly. “The pork belly party was ruined because of me, wasn’t it? You shouldn’t be left with lingering regrets, so while they were clearing out the clothes, I had them prepare this, too.”

Just as he was about to say he had no regrets, the savory aroma of seasoned marinade wafted through the slightly ajar door. Reflexively swallowing the saliva pooling in his mouth, Eui-rim asked, “Did you grill galbi?”

“Yes. I heard you like galbi, Eui-rim-ssi.”

“Pardon? Well, yes, I do, but… how did you know?”

“Everyone said so. That Eui-rim-ssi is crazy about it.”

Had he smacked his lips that blatantly? Chuckling softly, Seo Hae-gun took him by the wrist and led the way out. He moved briskly, as if genuinely worried the food might get cold.

Ah, if I’d known, I should have checked the foresight in the car. It felt like he was continually putting off his homework.

Harboring anxiety over the foresight alongside anticipation for the meal, Eui-rim followed Seo Hae-gun to a dining table set so impeccably it looked as though it had been plucked straight from a barbecue restaurant. Staring at the glistening marinated meat, Eui-rim swallowed dryly.

Wow. It’s really been a while since I had galbi.

Ever since the one-eyed creatures blanketed the skies, he hadn’t touched a single bite. To his perception, it was practically his first taste in nearly a year.

“If you hadn’t eaten this, you would’ve cried from disappointment,” Hae-gun teased. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll grill more for you.”

“What about you, Seo Hae-gun-ssi?”

“I eat well enough on my own, so don’t worry about me.”

Seo Hae-gun clicked the tips of his tongs together. Watching the freshly laid meat sizzle on the grill pan, Eui-rim took a seat across from him.

Looking at the meat piled high like a tower, it certainly wasn’t an amount that would end after a round or two. Does all of that really fit in one stomach?

He knew Hae-gun was a big eater, but seeing the mountain of meat in person drove the point home. Usually, people ordered this much for an entire company dinner.

Thinking it best to fill his own stomach before taking over the tongs, Eui-rim popped a piece into his mouth. Sweet, savory marinade burst over the tender beef. The texture is incredible. Is this premium grade? It melts after barely a few chews. Seriously delicious.

As Eui-rim diligently wolfed down the meat heaped in his bowl alongside soybean paste stew, rice, and pickled myeongi leaves, a glass of water was nudged toward him with a gentle admonition to slow down. Dropping another freshly grilled slice into Eui-rim’s bowl, Seo Hae-gun remarked casually, “It’s been a long time since I’ve grilled and eaten meat with someone else, too.”

“Who did you eat with in the past?” Eui-rim asked.

“Hm, well. I think my days at the athletes’ village were the last.”

“…Does Cheongho not have guild dinners?”

“The kids do among themselves. I just don’t join in.”

Didn’t he say he used to eat with others in the early days after awakening as a New Human?

While Eui-rim wasn’t someone who minded eating alone, dining in solitude for every single meal like Seo Hae-gun must have felt exceedingly lonely. Even without showing it, Hae-gun must have carried a deep sense of isolation.

“Why?” Hae-gun asked, surprised.