chapter 14
“Do you wish it were a dream?”
“Gasp!”
Morae barely managed to stifle the scream threatening to escape from her lips.
She really did wish it were a dream.
What would happen if people found out that Kyeonsuho was here? There would be chaos in an instant. Just imagining it made her want to go home.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone had noticed yet—but she could feel more and more glances being cast their way.
Even to her, Kyeonsuho’s physique was far from ordinary. Morae grabbed Suho’s arm and dragged him toward a corner.
“P-please come this way for now.”
Without a word, Suho let himself be pulled. His dark eyes briefly fell on the pale hand clutching his wrist, then looked away.
Normally, even someone brushing past him would trigger an angry outburst—but today, he was oddly calm.
Strangely, he wasn’t even annoyed. Was it because he knew this woman might be the only one who could ease his pain?
Or maybe…
Suho’s gaze shifted toward Morae’s small, round face.
She looked around warily, like a timid herbivore guarding its food.
He vaguely remembered seeing something like that as a child—white, tiny, soft, helpless… what was it again?
“Ah, a rabbit.”
“Pardon?”
Startled, Morae looked up at him with wide eyes and quickly let go of his arm.
“Oh my gosh!”
Worried that someone might recognize Kyeonsuho, she hadn’t even realized she was holding onto him.
“Did I offend you? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you like that…”
As she backed away, Suho stepped forward with his long legs, quickly closing the gap between them.
“Why did you reject me?”
“If you’re referring to the taming offer… I-I didn’t reject it exactly… I just have some personal reasons.”
Morae deliberately looked off into the distance. If she looked him in the eyes, her heart might burst.
“Did the conditions offered by the Awakening Bureau piss you off?”
The curse slipped out so casually that it took her a second to react. Morae quickly waved her hands in panic.
“N-no! Not at all! I didn’t hear all the details, but they said I’d be treated at the highest level.”
“Regardless of the salary they offered, I’ll pay you separately for your trouble. Name your price.”
“It’s not about the money. I’m genuinely just too busy. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“You’re busy?”
“Y-yes… in my own way.”
Suho looked down at her with cold eyes.
She didn’t seem like the type to play hard to get for money, but she turned down the offer because she’s busy? Doing this kind of work?
He couldn’t figure her out.
And because he couldn’t, he didn’t know how to approach her. Suho tilted his head slightly.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you dislike me?”
Dislike? Her heart was about to explode from excitement.
Morae forced herself to keep a neutral expression.
Kyeonsuho, known for hating everything and everyone, especially loathed his fans.
So if she were to confess she was a fan, that beautiful face would surely twist in disgust.
And if she saw that look firsthand—even she might get hurt.
“I don’t particularly… dislike you.”
“So you don’t dislike me, but you don’t like me either?”
“Well… something like that?”
Suho bent forward to look into Morae’s face. A refreshing scent brushed past her nose.
Even Kyeonsuho smells good…
Morae snapped herself out of her daze. If she let her guard down, she might end up blurting out something ridiculous.
“What will it take for you to tame me?”
“……”
Wasn’t that phrased a little weird?
Morae ducked her head, blushing.
“I’m just an E-rank. Other tamers would be far more useful than me.”
She could feel his eyes on the top of her head. They stung. Morae desperately wanted to dive into a dungeon right then and there.
“Everyone, please gather at the entrance! We’re about to enter!”
Just then, an employee from the Awakening Bureau called out.
Saved! Morae’s face instantly brightened.
“Oh! I guess it’s time. Well then, take care. Stay safe!”
She gave Suho a polite bow and hurried toward the dungeon entrance.
I actually had a conversation with Kyeonsuho.
The thought of bragging to Songyi once she got home made her smile.
Morae pulled out her phone, still smiling silently.
Since phones didn’t work in dungeons, she was about to switch to airplane mode when a notification popped up.
It was a reply to a comment she had just posted.
↳ Hunter Kyeonsuho requires far more stabilizers than other Awakened individuals. I think that’s where the misunderstanding came from. He’s not dangerous at all—he’s a hero who risks his life to protect the world.
↳ Hero my ass lmao 😂
↳ No matter what he does, the ‘crazy’ doesn’t wear off. Magic, I guess.
↳ Lady, have some shame. Why are you feeding someone else’s dog in their house?
“That’s weird. I even removed the period…”
“What the hell is this.”
A low voice and a shadow fell over the top of her head. Morae slowly looked up, dreading what she’d see.
“……!”
Of course, she’d thought he had gone. But Kyeonsuho was standing behind her like a ghost.
He peered at her phone without the slightest hint of guilt, narrowing his sharp eyes.
“Morae, are you… my fan—”
“I am not.”
Her denial came before the question was even finished—at a speed that would’ve made even fan-hating Kyeonsuho flinch.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence settled between them.
Morae fidgeted, then chose to flee. She slipped straight into the dungeon entrance.
Footsteps echoed chaotically along the path lit by sparse lights.
She was walking near the rear of the group when a familiar scent drifted past her.
She turned her head instinctively—and flinched.
Kyeonsuho was standing behind her like a grim reaper.
Morae looked around and slowed her steps.
Once enough distance had grown between them and the rest of the gathering team, she whispered in a low voice,
“How did you even get in here?”
“I signed up for the gathering mission?”
“You applied for the 7th gathering mission of a C-rank dungeon? And they approved that?!”
“Of course not under my own name.”
“They would’ve verified your hunter number with a device, though?”
“Oh, this thing’s not mine.”
Suho lifted his hand slightly. The device on his wrist glinted under the light.
…Isn’t using someone else’s device illegal?
While Morae was still stunned, Suho leaned in.
“Why did you run?”
“I-I didn’t run! It just happened to be time to go in…”
“Then we can go together. Right?”
“…Sure.”
Maybe I should just go home.
While fighting off the overwhelming urge to retreat, they finally reached the end of the tunnel.
As if stepping into a completely different world, a dark forest of black trees unfolded before them. This was the real dungeon.
It’s night here…
Morae pulled out her lantern and checked the dungeon map on her device.
She began heading toward the marked area, with Suho trailing behind like a lazy shadow.
Ugh, he’s too distracting.
No matter how hard she tried to focus on gathering, her senses kept being drawn to the man behind her.
As she forced herself to keep walking, she suddenly stopped.
She turned her head slightly, silently asking: How long are you planning to follow me?
Suho smiled sweetly.
“Don’t mind me. Just do your thing.”
“How am I supposed to not mind you…”
“I want you to mind me, actually.”
So he’s planning to follow her the entire time.
Morae slumped her shoulders and trudged on.
Eventually, they reached their assigned area. She settled down in a good spot and turned off her lantern—for the sake of the bugs that avoided light.
With the artificial glow gone, the surroundings grew pitch dark.
Thankfully, mysterious blue lights floated around, keeping it from being completely black.
“Phew…”
She took a deep breath, calming her nerves. Soon, her aura spread outward like gentle ripples.
Not long after, the glowing blue specks—normally too shy to approach—began to gather around her.
Looking like tufts of cotton or specks of dust, they circled around her body. A few landed softly on her shoulders and head.
Suho watched the mesmerizing scene with an emotionless gaze.
