Hong Euiyoon spoke in a hesitant tone.
"Well. It's not like I have anything to say."
"Ah, didn't I tell you not to be like that?"
"W-what?"
Soo Jaehee let out a deep sigh.
"Yoon Seo hyung, I'll train this hyung more. He spends all his time worrying about you, but when you're right in front of him, this is how he acts. He kept whining about how he said a lot of hurtful things without knowing anything, to the point where I thought I'd die of exhaustion."
Yoon Seo quietly looked at Hong Euiyoon, whose face turned bright red. Neither Yoon Seo, Soo Jaehee, Park Soobin, nor even Kwon Jihan said anything, as if they were giving Hong Euiyoon a chance. The embarrassed young man hesitated before starting to speak.
"…I didn't know you had a healing resistance. If there was such a condition, you should've told us and worked together to find a way to treat it. What were you thinking, hiding it?"
"Ah, hyung! You were going to apologize!"
Soo Jaehee shouted. Startled, Hong Euiyoon hung his head low. But after a few seconds, he lifted his head again and spoke with a determined voice.
"I'm sorry for speaking recklessly all this time. I was too arrogant, even though I didn't know anything."
"Hunter Hong Euiyoon, for now, I don't plan on getting rid of my healing resistance."
"Huh? Why?"
"And…"
Yoon Seo pondered whether to ask Hong Euiyoon the same question he had once asked Kwon Jihan. If he hadn't had the healing resistance and was in perfect condition when he disappeared, would he be receiving an apology now, or would he be blamed instead?
There was no point in asking such a question. Most awakened beings believe that power comes with responsibility. They likely wouldn't even consider their sacrifices to be sacrifices at all.
Yoon Seo, thinking it would be pointless to say anything, was about to accept the apology in the same way he had with Yoo Juncheol. Then, his eyes met Kwon Jihan's. He used to think Kwon Jihan's eyes were ash-colored, but now, under the sunlight, they gleamed like silver jewels. And standing there in the sunlight, Kwon Jihan looked younger than he expected—just twenty-two years old.
"..."
Yoon Seo turned his gaze back to Hong Euiyoon, who was waiting expectantly for him to speak. Suddenly, his expression seemed innocent. In the end, Hong Euiyoon was much younger than him. Kwon Jihan, Hong Euiyoon, Soo Jaehee, and Park Soobin—they were all the same in that regard.
Yoon Seo finally opened his mouth.
"If 'Seo Chaeyoon' had disappeared without any injuries, how do you think things would have turned out?"
"What do you mean? If there were no injuries, you wouldn't have disappeared."
"I see. It's really fortunate that my healing resistance saved me from being blamed."
"..."
"Now that I think about it, even when the healing resistance first appeared ten years ago, deep down, I thought I was really lucky. This abnormal condition felt like a gift."
"...Why?"
"Because now, someone other than me could be healed."
"..."
"You don't know how awful it feels to watch your comrades die right in front of you, knowing that a healing skill could save them, but I'm the only one benefiting from it."
No one could answer, as none of them had experienced such a situation.
Yoon Seo gave a faint smile and shrugged his shoulders.
"They all ended up dying anyway. This is exactly why I won't get rid of my healing resistance. I need to keep avoiding the blame."
"..."
"How long has it been since you awakened, Hunter Hong Euiyoon?"
"Oh, uh, it's been… not long… about five years…"
"I see. One day, when you eventually retire as a hunter, you might need to develop a condition like mine if you want to avoid being blamed. It's something to worry about."
"..."
Hong Euiyoon looked blank, as if he had only vaguely grasped what Yoon Seo was saying.
If someone weak had criticized Seo Chaeyoon's disappearance, Yoon Seo wouldn't have just stood there quietly. But his view was that strong people who helped others could criticize him all they wanted. That's why he wasn't angry with Hong Euiyoon from the start.
They were all victims of the Gaia system. The fundamental flaw of the system: criminals couldn't awaken. Awakened hunters knew this well, and that's why some became even more filled with a sense of justice and duty after their awakening, like a child eager to do better after being praised for good behavior.
Hong Euiyoon bit his lip and fell into deep thought.
Yoon Seo had only said his piece out of frustration with the righteous hunter, so he didn't want Hong Euiyoon to feel discouraged. He made sure to lighten his expression deliberately.
"In any case, I accept your apology. Now stop with that awkward attitude—it's making everything feel uncomfortable."
"Oh… okay…"
Hong Euiyoon responded in the most awkward manner he'd shown so far.
Silence followed.
Soo Jaehee and Park Soobin seemed to be lost in thought after Yoon Seo's words, while Kwon Jihan…
"..."
Was wearing that same expression. As if he was the one suffering more, even though Yoon Seo had been the one in pain.
But it was only for a moment. The second Kwon Jihan felt Yoon Seo's gaze, he quickly changed his expression. He smiled slightly and pointed at the shopping bags Yoon Seo was holding.
"By the way, hyung, what's with all that stuff you brought?"
Yoon Seo chuckled at the blatant attempt to change the topic.
"Did you all have breakfast yet?"
To change the mood, he asked. Soo Jaehee quickly responded.
"Isn't this breakfast? Of course, I haven't eaten yet."
"The restaurant opens for lunch."
"So people were already lining up for lunch this early?"
Soo Jaehee's eyes widened in surprise. It seemed like neither Hong Euiyoon nor Park Soobin knew about it either, as they also looked shocked.
"I told you it's a famous restaurant. So, I'm guessing Hunter Hong Euiyoon and Soobin haven't eaten either?"
"Of course not. Who'd have time to eat breakfast this early?"
Hong Euiyoon spoke nervously, still glancing at Yoon Seo.
"I haven't eaten either. How about you, Yoon Seo?"
"I've already eaten."
"You had breakfast without us…!"
Hong Euiyoon almost got upset but stopped himself. Soo Jaehee snickered next to him. Yoon Seo figured that Hong Euiyoon would calm down eventually and just left him be.
"Hyung, why didn't you ask me?"
"Because I assumed Kwon Jihan hadn't eaten either."
Yoon Seo calmly replied as he pulled out some chocolate crack cookies from the shopping bag. There were five semi-transparent bags, each containing 50 cookies, tied neatly with gold ribbons. Since there were five of them, and they were all awakened individuals with big appetites, he made plenty.
"Wow, thanks! It's been a while since I've had Yoon Seo's chocolate cookies."
Park Soobin, who had tasted them a few times while working with him, smiled brightly. As Hong Euiyoon accepted the bag, he blinked in surprise.
"You made these yourself?"
"Yes, I made them yesterday."
Hong Euiyoon quickly took the bag and started taking pictures. Click, click. He snapped a few in rapid succession, took a selfie with the cookies, and even recorded a video before finally biting into one. The crispy exterior, combined with the soft, chewy interior and melting chocolate chips, made it the perfect cookie.
"You even mastered baking…!"
Hong Euiyoon looked like someone who had been deeply moved by the enemy's commander. Yoon Seo had wanted the bag back, but by then, it was cradled carefully in Hong Euiyoon's hands.
"You must've been tired making so many… And it was a last-minute meet-up, too. You even made them for all of us, hyung. Thank you."
"It wasn't hard at all. I just adjusted the quantity."
"So humble… I swear, I'll follow you for life. Seo Chaeyoon is exactly the kind of person I imagined him to be—graceful and amazing. I'm so happy."
Soo Jaehee pretended to cry. Or maybe he wasn't pretending, but Yoon Seo didn't feel like responding since he didn't think he matched Soo Jaehee's grand expectations anyway.
"Thanks, hyung. I'll enjoy this."
Kwon Jihan munched on the cookies. Yoon Seo wasn't actually tired from baking the cookies. But as he watched the chocolate cookies, dusted with white powder, disappear into Kwon Jihan's mouth, any fatigue he might have felt completely vanished.
'See? Kwon Jihan and I aren't on bad terms.'
Yoon Seo glanced at Soo Jaehee, but he was too busy stealing cookies from Hong Euiyoon, claiming he didn't want to eat his own because they were too precious. It seemed like he'd have to try another time.
Yoon Seo handed one of the two shopping bags he brought to Soo Jaehee.
"This one's for you, Soo Jaehee."
"Huh? What is it, hyung?"
When Soo Jaehee opened it, he was surprised.
"It's a knitted sweater. I made it, and I thought it would fit you perfectly."
"No way…"
Soo Jaehee's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"A handmade cookie and a hand-knitted sweater by Seo Chaeyoon himself…."
His hands trembled as he clutched the sweater tightly, then suddenly dropped to his knees. The stares that had already been drawn to them now turned into looks of shock. Even Yoon Seo was taken aback by this unexpected behavior.
"W-What are you doing?"
"I'm just so moved… hyung, I'll wear this with pride. Thank you so much. Actually, no… I don't think I can wear it. It's too precious! I can't even eat the cookie right now because it's too valuable… I'll just display it in my house. I'll look at the sweater whenever I need strength. I'll treasure it forever."
"Wear it, keep it, whatever you want—just get up already."
Yoon Seo bent down to help Soo Jaehee stand, but before he could, a hand shot in between them.
"Everyone's staring at you."
Kwon Jihan lifted Soo Jaehee to his feet. Soo Jaehee, still emotional, rubbed his face against the sweater, making strange noises.
Next to him, Hong Euiyoon muttered half-dazed.
"Damn… I'm so jealous…."
Park Soobin looked at Soo Jaehee with amusement and remarked,
"It's a hand-knitted sweater by Yoon Seo himself. I've got one too."
All the guild members of Seokyoung owned at least one.
"The one I'm wearing right now? Hyung made it for me too,"
Kwon Jihan added proudly.
"Damn… I'm so jealous… I want one too…"
As the three basked in pride, Hong Euiyoon's muttering grew louder and more bitter.