Jiho closed his mouth. Yiwon poked Jiho’s side. Unable to ignore this, Jiho turned to him sulkily. Yiwon’s eyes curved.
“What?”
“Nothing, I was just thinking that Jiho really is the Administrator.”
Jiho was startled by the topic Yiwon brought up so naturally. Yiwon looked at Jiho, who was so startled that he couldn’t control his expression, like he was cute.
Jiho had thought that there was a chance Joo Yiwon knew about the existence of an administrator, but…. He didn’t know Yiwon would’ve guessed–even vaguely–that Jiho was said administrator.
How did Yiwon learn about the Administrator and Jiho’s identity? Before Jiho could ask, Yiwon confessed.
“Mireu Guild is a guild made up of many species and beings with special abilities before there were awakened ones. Thanks to that, they have a lot of information that even I don’t know.”
“…Did you plant a spy in Mireu?”
“I recruited someone, to be exact.”
Yiwon was smiling, but his words were strange. He could’ve just said that he heard it from someone, but the fact that he specifically mentioned Mireu Guild….
“You heard everything that day, didn’t you?”
What other day besides the day Tae Yong came to find Jiho? Despite the fact that Jiho didn’t mention a subject, Yiwon nodded. Jiho never thought they’d be exposed at a normal restaurant.
“That building is the essence of my magic. No matter how careful you are, you cannot escape my eyes there.”
Does that mean he’s watching everything? Jiho shuddered when he thought that that includes himself. Though the person in front of him is smiling, he was deemed an immeasurable monster by Mireu Guild. While he knows Yiwon would never hurt him, Jiho still felt the chills.
“I suddenly have the urge to move….”
“Of course I didn’t do anything to the floors No Name uses. Especially your room; I put up all types of barriers there. So next time you want to talk in secret, do it in your office.”
He says that all so proudly… however, Jiho can’t bring himself to believe it. He likes the current location, but does he have to move? As Jiho looked doubtfully at Yiwon, Yiwon protested as though he was wronged.
“I really didn’t.”
“Can you swear?”
“I swear.”
“What are you going to swear on?”
“I’ll… swear on you.”
Me? Jiho pointed at himself and Yiwon nodded. Jiho snorted in disbelief.
“Hey, you lose nothing if you swear on me.”
“I lose everything. If I lose Shin Jiho.”
Unlike Jiho’s consistently playful tone, Yiwon’s was serious. Jiho subconsciously glanced at Yiwon when he heard his low voice. Because Yiwon’s eyes were so intensely focused on him….
“Jiho, your ears are red.”
“Sh-shut up.”
For some reason, Jiho felt hot and his heart was beating chaotically.
Something’s off.
Jiho wondered why he was like this as he sped up to walk in front of Yiwon. Though Yiwon’s chuckle as he trailed behind him bothered Jiho, Jiho didn’t feel upset.
Jiho walked a bit further before he stopped.
There’s something different on this familiar street. An unusual crowd was gathered to one side.
“Why are there so many people there?”
Behind the crowd is <Heaven Shop>, which Heaven Guild operates. This place sells items safe for even non-awakened ones to buy as well as character goods of Heaven Guild’s hunters.
Even though it looks plain, its friendly vibe is only marketing; <Heaven Shop> is a flagship store that the mega-corporation Sky heavily invested in.
There’s usually a lot of people here, but this is the first time Jiho’s seen that big of a crowd since the store first opened. Wondering what was going on, Jiho went closer.
A man with silver hair stood at the entrance of <Heaven Shop>. He was at the center of this crowd. Two cameras were filming this man, and the man was smiling and talking animatedly to the crowd like he was doing an interview.
Jiho recognized the other person.
“Oh, it’s Hur Su Hyuk.”
“What?”
Jiho didn’t notice Yiwon’s displeasure as he continued to observe Su Hyuk’s shoot.
“Hunter Hur Su Hyuk from Heaven Guild. The MeTuber Hershey. You don’t know him?”
Jiho didn’t really know him until recently either, but after the raid with Heaven Guild, Jiho had become familiar with his face and name.
Hershey, real name Hur Su Hyuk. Jiho naturally remembers Su Hyuk because his rank was lower than it should’ve been due to a debuff on his skills that stems from his inferiority complex to his older brother.
Yiwon stared at Hur Su Hyuk before shaking his head.
“Should I know that thing?”
“Hey. Calling a person ‘that thing’….”
Yiwon’s mood clearly tanked. Knowing that Jiho doesn’t care about MeTubers, Yiwon whispered dangerously.
“How do you know that?”
“Jaeun told me. He’s a MeTuber he likes.”
Yiwon’s guard relaxed at the mention of Jiho’s nephew. Yet he still seems irritated, glaring at Su Hyuk.
“Your nephew’s a little weird.”
“…I agree.”
How could he like Hershey, who’s in Heaven Guild? While Jiho doesn’t have anything personal against Hur Su Hyuk, he doesn’t understand how he could be a fan. How many times has Chungram been blocked by Sky and Heaven?
It looks like Yiwon understands Jaeun even less than Jiho does.
“What does he like about that?”
“Apparently he was an idol? He’s good-looking. And speaks well too.”
“Ah.”
Jiho complimented Hur Su Hyuk without much thought, but Yiwon’s face twisted into a fierce expression.
“I remember that bastard. I was thinking he looked familiar…. That’s the bastard who took a picture with his face glued and body pressed against yours.”
“…Don’t word that so weirdly.”
That picture that Yiwon’s talking about was just a normal selfie. Although their bodies were touching, that was only to fit them both in that tight frame, there was nothing weird about it at all. However, Yiwon’s ears blocked Jiho’s logical explanation. Yiwon glared at Su Hyuk like a speculative Royal Concubine for a while before turning the arrow on Jiho.
“Honey, is that guy your type?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden….”
He’s starting again. Yiwon didn’t budge at Jiho’s dead look and continued getting fired up.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve never heard your taste in men. So you like me because we’ve been together since we were young, but that’s your original type?”
“Are you crazy?”
Jiho doesn’t understand why his type has to be a man, but even if he did like men, Hur Su Hyuk and Joo Yiwon aren’t his type. If he had to pick one, he thinks Joo Yiwon is more handsome, but he’s far from his ideal type.
And Yiwon was openly upset by Jiho’s reaction.
“Jiho-ya.”
“What.”
“Pay me back for that mana stone I gave Seon Tae Woong.”
Hearing the sulk in his voice, Jiho knew Yiwon wasn’t going to be easily appeased. However, Yiwon’s the one who squeezed in and compensated Seon Tae Woong when Tae Woong was just going to hand it over, and now he’s asking Jiho to pay him back? Jiho protested.
“You gave that yourself!”
“But isn’t that worth the mana stone Seon Tae Woong gave? If I hadn’t compensated Seon Tae Woong—Honey, you would’ve felt guilty.”
“…”
Since he’s right, Jiho couldn’t argue any further and went silent. The mana stone Seon Tae Woong gave him was… definitely worth that. Of course, only Jiho can use that stone to its full potential, but it’s so valuable that Jiho would’ve felt bad for taking it for free.
On top of that, Yiwon wouldn’t have brought this up right now expecting money from Jiho. He’ll probably demand something else. Jiho sighed. Since Jiho feels bad to just receive from Yiwon too, it’ll be better to settle that here.
“Just tell me what you want.”
“Since you pressed against that bastard….”
Yiwon grinned at Jiho’s surrender and thought. Yiwon stood there and deliberated for a while before his eyes twinkled ominously.
“You can give me a kiss.”
Is he out of his mind?
Jiho looked at Yiwon and their surroundings with stiff movements like a rusted machine. No one was focusing on them thanks to Yiwon’s skill, but Jiho was still worried that someone would hear.
“Are you crazy?”
“I’m not crazy.”
“I can’t do something else?”
“Noooo~ you can’t. Ah, you don’t have to do it on my lips. That’s a little too soon for Honey. Just do it on my cheek, my cheek.”
It’s too soon for the cheek too.
“A light one. Isn’t that easy enough?”
But Yiwon spoke so casually like it wasn’t a big deal. Jiho knows well that Yiwon isn’t the type to take back what he said. Stubborn bastard. If Jiho keeps refusing, Yiwon would probably say forget it instead of requesting something else.
Having weighed his options, Jiho sighed and nodded his head. If it’s on the cheek, Jiho’s done it multiple times in preschool or elementary….
Well, now that he thinks about it, it isn’t that strange to do as grown-ups either. Isn’t that why Joo Yiwon suggested it? Sure, friends can give each other a peck on the cheek.
“Fine. Let’s go home and do it after I brush my teeth….”
“But Honey. Isn’t it weirder to wait until we get home and prepare to do it?”
“…”
Yiwon’s not wrong. It’s not like the first night of their honeymoon. And now that Yiwon’s said that, Jiho will definitely be oddly conscious of it once they get home.
“Just do it now.”
“But we’re outside, you crazy bastard.”
“No one’s looking anyways. Just do it quickly.”
I told you it’s weirder if you hesitate? Yiwon annoyingly urged Jiho before tapping his own cheek. It’s true that no one’s looking at them thanks to Yiwon’s skill….
Jiho wishes he could’ve had a drink before this. With Yiwon’s face in front of him, Jiho doesn’t have the courage to use his lips to make contact with it. Yiwon saw Jiho’s nervousness and chuckled happily.
“You can close your eyes if you’re nervous.”
“I’ll do what I want.”
Is what Jiho growled, but he listened and squeezed his eyes shut. Then he lightly pushed forward and stamped his lips on Yiwon’s cheek.
LaZ Bird Corner
(*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ
Royal Concubine Yiwon strikes again.
!!Update Note!!
Ch. 102.2 (AOD) will be up Monday~~
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