Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

After breakfast, Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun spend hours talking with Seok Simyeong, Haeyeon’s HR department head, and Kim Hayeon, Haeyeon’s legal team director. 

Quietly, Yoojin is grateful to have Kim Hayeon present as well. Not only was she well-versed in legal matters, as her job indicated, but Yoojin appreciated any distractions from Seok Simyeong. Although the man had been very civil and professional, especially while Yoohyun was present, Yoojin could not shake his own discomfort when facing the man. Seok Simyeong had simply been too deeply involved with Yoojin’s troubles in the past for him to relax around the head of HR. 

He felt as if he had indigestion conversing with Seok Simyeong casually, over matters Yoohyun had insisted his guild would help Yoojin with. Which meant that Yoojin had to give his abridged and watered down version of events to the two Haeyeon employees, so that all four of them could discuss the best way to handle things depending on the approach the Association planned on taking with Yoojin. This had subsequently involved the reveal of Peace acting as Yoojin’s tamed beast, and had given Yoojin plenty of amusement in seeing their reactions. 

Peace was currently curled up on Yoojin’s lap, perfectly content, ignoring the semi-frequent befuddled looks from Simyeong and Hayeon. Yoohyun was unbothered by the glances his employees sent the monster, but would glare back in warning if either of the two looked at Yoojin with even a hint of judgment. Thankfully, the two of them remained calm and professional with Yoojin from beginning to end. It made Yoojin’s task of mediating so much easier to bear. 

Yoohyunie sure was tense, wasn’t he?

Yoojin was glad when the two of them finally left, parting with lingering directives for him to follow while speaking with Song Taewon. This meant that, once again, it was only Peace, Yoojin, and Yoohyun in the loft. Yoojin yawned, more out of boredom than anything else, slowly finishing the last of the snacks that Yoohyun had shoved onto his lap during the long-winded discussion of legal matters. His brother sure seemed intent on keeping Yoojin well fed. Peace had also eaten a snack of minced monster meat and crushed mana stones. His dongsaeng was taking great care of the two of them.

“Hyung, Song Taewon will be arriving soon. Do you want to go down to the conference room now? Or would you like to wait?” Yoohyun asks, strolling back into the dining room. 

There is a barely visible tension in his face. Yoohyun is clearly upset about Yoojin having to leave his loft, a space that Yoohyun’s instincts had designated as being the safest place for his brother, to meet someone as powerful as Chief Song. It’s why he’d relented and even decided to allow Simyeong and Hayeon to meet with the two of them in his home in the first place, having a modicum of trust for his subordinates and also wanting to keep Yoojin sequestered away for a little longer. 

Which, quite frankly, Yoojin had been fine with. 

And while Yoohyun was semi-aware of the battles Yoojin had fought these last few months, as well as his new status as an S-rank, he wasn’t pleased with how everything was moving so quickly. Yoojin had been home for less than forty eight hours by this point. This wasn’t nearly long enough for either of them to feel comfortable with any distance or distractions.

Yoojin scratched Peace behind the ears, deliberating on what to do next. “We can go down there now. It would look better to greet Song Taewon first than to keep him waiting.”

Yoohyun doesn’t look pleased, but nods nonetheless. “Alright. Did you want to change first?”

Looking down at his clothes, Yoojin frowns. He had been shown the locations of his things earlier that day. Thankfully, Yoojin still fit all of his clothes, as he tended to buy things that offered an ease of movement, which meant his clothing items were on the baggier side. Unfortunately, though, he didn't have a lot of money. This meant his small wardrobe offered very limited options, and many of his clothes had been in rotation since he was in his later teens. Yoojin remembered wearing a lot of his existing clothing items even five years later, despite the many dungeon raids he’d attended as an F-rank leading to their already poor quality declining even faster.

Right now, he was wearing a simple combination of a dark t-shirt, a jacket that had seen better days, and pants he’d gotten from a cheap clothing store in Hongdae. 

“Um, I don’t think I’ll change. All of my things are pretty similar to this, so it wouldn’t make much of a difference…” 

Song Taewon wouldn’t mind him not dressing up, right? Yoojin squinted over at his brother’s outfit, and his stomach sank in sudden embarrassment and shame. Even Yoohyun’s casual clothes appeared to be designer brands and quite expensive if you only took a closer look. His low v-neck shirt had a subtle elegance to it, his pants suited him well, and they looked quite nice with his top. In comparison, Yoojin likely appeared drabby and cheap.

“Is that so?” Yoohyun murmurs with a thoughtful look, which turns into something determined. “I’ll have my stylist come by at some point this week to take your measurements. I remember that you never really buy anything for yourself… they can pick out outfits and tailor them to fit you and I can have them delivered by next week…” He trails off, already emailing said stylist, without waiting for Yoojin’s response.

Yoojin is taken aback, and he would admit that his pride does sting a little bit. He’d worked hard to afford what he owned in the past. He’d worked multiple jobs to keep himself and Yoohyun afloat since Yoojin was only fifteen years old, after all. While many times his purchases were secondhand or very cheap, he had been proud of being able to provide for Yoohyun all on his own. Although Yoojin did always prefer to spend more on Yoohyun’s clothing and necessities than he would have ever saved or used for his own needs… 

Maybe he’d been too obvious about that. Of course Yoohyun would notice, too, especially with the clear difference in wealth now that he was an affluent guild leader. And probably a billionaire, too. While Yoojin on the other hand was currently unemployed, and had lost all of his life savings in the dungeon with the brokers… 

Ah, how shameful. Yoojin pinched the bridge of his nose. I can’t even provide for my own dongsaeng anymore. And with the tax bracket he’s in now, a single item of clothing that he wants to give me may be worth everything I had provided him with when he was younger. How horrible is that?

He felt like an utter failure. He hadn’t been able to do anything for Yoohyun after he’d pushed Yoojin away from him, due to the distance and his own bitterness. And then he’d lost him entirely when Yoohyun decided to give up something as precious as his very own life for Yoojin, despite his failures in protecting and providing for his little brother all those years. Yoohyun had proved he didn’t need Yoojin’s help, and then had gone and given him the one thing Yoojin could not ever pay him back for.

Yoojin would spend the rest of this life doing his best to repay Yoohyun’s sacrifice, even if it hadn’t ever happened in this timeline.

Yoojin couldn’t stomach asking his brother for things, or taking advantage of him or his money like this. He could build up his funds in due time. Yoojin opens his mouth to say as much, and his gaze catches on the determined and soft look in Yoohyun’s eyes. Yoohyun had said that he wanted to do these things for Yoojin. Had said that Yoojin deserved these things too, and that it made him happy to provide them for him.

…would it be so bad to accept things like this from his younger brother? It made Yoohyun happy, right? That meant he wasn’t taking advantage of him, right? 

Hmm. It seemed spending hours with Seok Simyeong may have gotten to his head, because these are thoughts the man would have spat at him with painful accuracy in the past. That simply wouldn’t do.

So instead of shutting down Yoohyun’s ideas, Yoojin bites his tongue. He still feels guilty about accepting gifts or having Yoohyun pay for him, though. That might take a long time for Yoojin to get used to. Especially since Yoohyun had done the complete opposite the last time. 

Something deep down inside of Yoojin preens at the idea of being taken care of, even if he’d never admit it.

Yoojin is uncomfortable with how seriously Yoohyun is taking this decision to buy him clothes, so he coughs pointedly to redirect his attention. “Let’s go down there right now.”

Pocketing his phone, seemingly finished, Yoohyun agrees. “Okay. We should leave your fire manticore here, though, since it isn’t registered yet. I have a room we can leave it in, here in the loft.” 

Yoojin hadn’t been separated from Peace since they’d met. It’s a startling realization to come to as he looks down at the little monster, whose tail tip is flicking side to side in minor agitation. Peace seems to understand the gist of what Yoohyun had said, and wasn’t happy about it.

“Ah, Peace-yah. Will you be able to behave yourself for a little while?” Yoojin croons, cradling the manticore in his arms as he stands up. Peace growls under its breath and plasters its ears against its head in unhappy agreement. 

The three of them move as a unit towards the room Yoohyun had spoken about, with Yoohyun leading. Peace does not look pleased in the least. Yoojin feels his heart racing with sudden anxiety at the thought of leaving Peace behind, regardless of the necessity. Like Yoohyun had mentioned, Peace was not yet registered as a tamed beast, nor was Yoojin registered as either an Awakened or a tamer. It was also illegal to take a dungeon creature around in public, and while it would be okay to take Peace around Haeyeon with Yoohyun present and most of the staff being hunters, Yoojin didn’t want to surprise Song Taewon with a fire manticore right off the bat. 

They approach the location Yoohyun had in mind, and Yoojin comes to a stop, peering incredulously at the enclosure. It’s a room made of glass that’s no doubt impenetrable to a C-rank beast like Peace, as Yoojin is sure his brother wouldn’t trust the creature with anything less. The enclosure itself seems to be filled with dungeon flora, looking more like a greenhouse than a garden, and was densely packed with flowers and plants. Peace seems a little bit more interested in it now, so while Yoohyun opens the door, Yoojin lets Peace jump down onto the floor. He walks in behind the curious creature, figuring it would be better to let Peace explore naturally before locking him inside. He felt bad enough about this already; there was no need to make it any harder on either of them.

Looking around in curiosity while Peace sniffs around, Yoojin glances at his brother. “Isn’t it illegal to have flora and fauna from a dungeon ecosystem?” He asks, genuinely curious.

“There’s no law related to that yet.” Yoohyun responds without preamble, watching Peace begin to climb one of the trees. “Domestic dungeons are handled through domestic territories, so nothing was smuggled either. I was told only to be careful so that nothing spreads into the wild, as there’s a danger of disturbing the ecosystem. And there’s only one monster-class in here.”

“A monster class?” Yoojin repeats, fanning his mana out to search for it while also looking around. He finds the closest monster-class plant pretty quickly, now that he knows what to search for. “Fifth rank magic tree type, huh? Guillotine…” He trails off thoughtfully, approaching the tree. He knew the fruit was quite useful, so no wonder why Yoohyun thought it would be beneficial to have the tree for himself. 

Yoojin belatedly thinks this really must be a bit before laws were established preventing the ownership of dungeon fauna. What was the event that had triggered the creation of such a law, actually? If he remembers correctly, it was the Shinho group’s snow flower butterfly incident, wasn’t it? Well, it didn't matter, if it hadn’t yet occurred. 

Yoohyun looks surprised by his knowledge and the keen eye Yoojin observes the tree with.

“Yes, exactly. Even as a fifth rank, its fruit is useful, so I planted some.” Yoohyun confirms Yoojin’s thoughts, as he notices Peace approaching and some tension lacing Yoojin’s posture, so he quickly reassures his older brother. “They’re already pruned, so don’t worry. As long as you cut them periodically, it’s safe.”

While Yoojin would have struggled against a tree like this as an F-ranker, it posed no threat to him currently. It could maybe endanger a D-rank, but even Peace was a higher rank, so the manticore should be fine as well. It helps him to relax. 

“You can run around for a bit here, Peace.” Yoojin says, trying to convince Peace as much as himself that this would be fine. “You’ll have fun, and won’t be stuck in a stuffy room with a government official like us. How does that sound?”

Peace meows despairingly and stretches so that its hindquarters are in the air. It then sits and begins to knead at the ground almost anxiously. Yoojin’s heart pangs, and he crouches down to pat the beast. 

“You should be fine. We aren’t planning on being gone for too long, I promise. And when I get back we can play together if you want, hm?” Yoojin murmurs in reassurance.

Yoohyun seems to pick up on Yoojin’s own discomfort, and gives him the last bit of encouragement he needs to be able to stand back up. “I can find some durable equipment for your manticore to use when you get back.” He says, texting someone his request even as he says it.

Knowing that Peace will be rewarded for his behavior, and that Yoohyun would provide Peace with his first real toys, Yoojin is sated enough to leave. He gives Peace a last rub and a few more words of encouragement and then straightens up. He follows Yoohyun out of the enclosure and waves goodbye to Peace before they leave the larger room for good. Yoojin trails behind his brother, senses on high alert and mana mapping out everything around them as they maneuver through Yoohyun’s large loft and head directly towards the mini portal that would take them to the Haeyeon corporate offices. He makes sure his aura is carefully and consciously tucked away, coiled tighter than he’s used to, hoping he was doing it well enough that Song Taewon wouldn’t immediately be alerted to his new status. 

Yoojin hoped to ease the man into the complexities of his disappearance, seeing how complicated it all was.

Yoohyun sticks close as the two of them slip through the portal, Yoojin shivering at the brush of foreign mana over his skin due to his already high sensitivity. The guards that meet them outside bow their heads respectfully to Yoohyun, and Yoojin feels awkward beneath their cool gazes. His mana feels them out, prodding at their auras, and Yoojin unconsciously activates his Promising Sprout skill to check their stat windows. He quickly files away their names and ranks, inclining his head respectfully to them as Yoohyun gently tugs him away. 

“Where is this conference room we’re meeting in?” Yoojin asks, allowing Yoohyun to keep his hand on his arm as he guides Yoojin. 

He’s half paying attention as is, his mana scoping out the next handful of floors below them as well as the one that they’re on. The highest ranking signatures aside from his own and Yoohyun’s are all high A-ranks. It’s enough for Yoojin to dial back his senses a bit, knowing they’re still going to arrive in the room before Song Taewon, as his presence doesn’t seem to have yet reached the building. 

The guild members they pass all pause to bow for Yoohyun and shoot curious gazes at Yoojin, who gives them awkward grins and nervous waves in return. He sort of wishes he’d put a facemask on so that he didn’t feel so exposed. Though Yoohyun doesn’t stop for anyone, which is a relief. 

They arrived in a large conference room; one that provided a dazzling view of Seoul, with the sun just beginning to dip lower in the sky. Yoojin’s eyes sparkle as he moves through the room and stops just before the glass, his breath catching in his throat. It isn’t that Yoohyun’s loft hadn’t had a lovely view of Seoul, but Yoojin simply hadn’t had time to really focus on it yet. This truly feels like coming home.

Yoohyun closes the door to the conference room and follows Yoojin inside. “What caught your eye, hyung?” He asks quietly. 

“Isn’t it crazy how far we’ve come since the first Dungeon Shock?” Yoojin asks, his eyes unfocusing a bit as he reminisces. He can still imagine the taste of the smoke in the air as buildings burned, and feel the shock of watching his boss who’d suddenly gained super strength use it to stop a flying beast from harming him. “Seoul recovered well. It’s only been a few years, but the world has come so far already…”

And things would continue to rapidly change in the following five years. Yoojin already had the foreknowledge of many things that would come to occur, and he planned to put this knowledge to good use. He’d use it to bolster the strength of Yoohyun’s guild and also to build up his own reputation as a future freelancer. Yoojin would have to go about this carefully, but he was confident that he’d had more than enough time to plan things out already. The last three and a half months had left him with plenty of time to think, after all.

“It’s only thanks to the guilds and hunters, however.” Yoohyun says, stopping at Yoojin’s side to also gaze out at Seoul’s skyline. “If there weren’t Awakened taking care of the dungeons, things would appear much more grim.”

Yoojin ponders over this. “You’re right. The state of countries that are against high ranking hunters and the Awakened is not very desirable.” 

“South Korea has coped well with the changes because of the continued cooperation between the association and the guilds so far.” Yoohyun grimaces, seeming unhappy about this fact. “But I don't really trust the Association, hyung. So just remember to be careful about what you disclose to Song Taewon. He might be an Awakened too, but he is someone who has always put business first.” 

Yoojin squeezed his brother’s shoulder reassuringly, although it didn't seem to help much. “Don’t worry so much about me, dongsaeng. We spent enough time talking this over today that I think I could run through this meeting in my sleep.”

Yoohyun is unimpressed, but he doesn’t argue. “Sit down, hyung, and I’ll grab us something to drink.” 

Yoojin does so, beginning to feel butterflies in his stomach. He doesn’t ever remember meeting Song Taewon before, so this was an entirely new experience. He knew the man had been dead for a little while in the last timeline, thought to have been killed by Sesung’s guild leader. It would be quite a big deal to meet the only government-employed S-rank on Yoojin’s little brother’s turf. 

He wondered if Song Taewon was as strict and professional as the rumors said. Would he dig too deep into things? Even with the cover story, Yoojin’s circumstances were quite extraordinary. Song Taewon might come to distrust Yoojin completely due to the holes in his story, especially after he discloses his awakened status. Song Taewon might even decide to keep an eye on him personally. Although, this would put Yoojin in a position to possibly put another S-rank under his custody…

I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Yoojin shakes his head, scowling. Maybe Song Taewon will be disinterested and back off. But if he doesn’t…

Well, Yoojin might be spending plenty of time getting personally acquainted with Song Taewon in the foreseeable future. 

He’s jolted out of his thoughts when Yoohyun presses a cold bottle of water into his hands, and his dongsaeng shoots him a stern look. “Drink some water and collect your thoughts, hyung. He should be arriving within the next few minutes.”

“Okay.” Yoojin agrees and twists the lid off. He breaks the seal and then brings the lip of the water bottle to his mouth. Yoojin had felt a powerful mana signature approaching while they were talking, and he figured it must be the man they were waiting for.

It just so happens that this is the moment that there’s a knock on the door. It opens when Yoohyun responds with an invitation to enter. Seok Simyeong himself is the one who opens the door, having escorted their guest to the conference room, and Yoojin’s eyes snap over as the man walks far enough inside for Simyeong to close the door behind him. 

Yoojin’s eyes widen as, for the very first time, he takes in the sight of Song Taewon in the flesh. He appears even larger in person than he did on TV, that was for sure. He was tall and broad and handsome. His muscles could not even be hidden beneath the simple business attire he was wearing. At least, not with the way his biceps flexed beneath the fabric. His face is very attractive, with a strong jawline that draws Yoojin’s attention immediately. He is holding a notebook that would be of average size to a normal person, but looks smaller than it should in his hands. The pencil, too, appears smaller than it should be. 

“Oh, wow-” Yoojin flushes at Song Taewon’s good looks, choking on his water. He coughs hard, trying to clear his windpipe, and Yoohyun panics and hovers worriedly. Yoojin waves him off, eyes watering, making ugly gasping sounds as he draws in air. “‘M fine, ‘m fine.”

“Are you sure, hyung?” Yoohyun worries, disregarding Song Taewon’s presence entirely. 

Yoojin shakes his head, finally dragging in a full breath. His eyes are locked on Song Taewon, who appears minorly concerned but also deeply unimpressed. “I’m fine, it just went down the wrong pipe.” Yoojin says.

He hopes his blush isn’t that obvious, because wow. Song Taewon was a very good looking man. And he was huge. Even the serious look on his face didn’t take away from how handsome he was. The way his eyes drag over Yoojin’s own appearance, watchful and cautious, makes the heat die away almost instantly though. Song Taewon had come here to do his job, and Yoojin’s instincts prickled under Taewon’s gaze.

“Ah, Chief Song. I’m so sorry about that.” Yoojin scrambles to his feet and bows, forcing Yoohyun to do the same when he notices his brother is standing straight and glaring at Song Taewon. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Han Yoojin.”

Yoohyun straightens up the moment that Yoojin takes his hand off his back, resuming his heated glaring at Song Taewon. Thankfully, the Awakening Management Office’s chief does not seem to feel threatened or provoked by Yoohyun’s silence or nasty looks. Instead, the man keeps his full attention on Yoojin.

“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Han Yoojin-ssi. Han Yoohyun-ssi.” Song Taewon responds curtly, still analyzing the older Han. His eyes are piercing, seemingly picking apart Yoojin’s appearance. He only acknowledges Yoohyun in passing.

Yoohyun seems just as unwilling to speak with the government official, glaring daggers at Song Taewon, upset about his presence.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Yoojin coughs, cutting into the awkward silence. He stares pointedly at his little brother. “Grab Chief Song a water, Yoohyunie.” 

“No need, I’m fine.” Taewon cuts in, choosing a spot at the conference table directly across from the brothers. Yoohyun sits down right next to Yoojin as he sees this, his aura spiking with mistrust and a deliberate warning. Yoojin smacks Yoohyun’s thigh beneath the table in reprimand. 

I thought we weren’t supposed to draw his ire at all? Yoojin thinks to himself, frowning harshly at Yoohyun. 

His brother merely ignores his gaze. Yoojin looks between the two men, feeling like the odd one out. While Yoohyun refuses to stop glaring at Song Taewon, Song Taewon seems unwilling to look away from Yoojin. Well. This is more tense than Yoojin had imagined it would be.

“Ah,” Yoojin breaks the tension again, still looking between the two S-ranks, “I’m happy to answer any questions that you have, Chief Song. I understand how strange the circumstances of my case may appear.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

Song Taewon’s gaze darts briefly over to Yoohyun, whose aura spikes once more. A flicker of surprise glitters in his eyes as he notices Yoohyun’s hovering and the nonverbal threat displayed in his hostile body language. Taewon does not comment on this. Instead, he readies his notebook and pen, directing his gaze back to Yoojin. Who, in turn, does his best to hide the tension thrumming throughout his mana, thrown off by the hint of hostility Taewon was masking with professionalism and suspicion whilst staring at him. Although, Yoojin would much rather be facing Song Taewon’s dislike than have to see him look at his little brother that way, so it’s fine.

“We’ll keep this brief.” Taewon says without preamble. “The Association needs a report of your disappearance and your current status.”

“I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us at my brother’s guild.” Yoojin spoke, his voice now soft and calm. 

He purposefully relaxes his shoulders a bit more, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. He isn’t sure what was setting Taewon off, but Yoojin would like to find out. It was making him nervous to be under this particular S-rank’s microscope. 

Yoojin decides to go the apologetic route, widening his eyes with a distressed puppy dog look. “I know my sudden disappearance caused a lot of trouble, especially for my brother. I’m really sorry for that.”

Yoohyun tenses, eyes sharp as he watches Taewon. To his credit, Taewon merely nods. He barely acknowledges the apology.

“Han Yoojin-ssi. I need to understand exactly what happened.” The chief says, the tip of his pencil pressed to the notepad. His tone is all business. “You were reported missing after having illegally entered a dungeon. Your case remained open for three months, with no leads resurfacing about your location after the fact. As far as the Association was concerned, you were a civilian, yet you disappeared in a situation typically reserved for awakened hunters. Your brother, the Haeyeon guild leader, was the only living witness. And now you’re back, found in an entirely different dungeon, by Han Yoohyun-ssi nonetheless. I need you to explain everything.”

Yoojin hesitated briefly before sighing, as if making up his mind on what to say. Of course, everything was already scripted in advance, and he was simply playing his part. “It’s a bit complicated. I wasn’t awakened when I first went missing, but something happened. I... awakened inside the dungeon, right after the boss appeared as a B-rank rather than a C-rank, and I got a strange notification that said I couldn’t leave until I had satisfied certain requirements, right after I’d already defeated the boss. The system forced me into dungeon raids over and over again, after that. I didn’t have much choice but to keep clearing them until I met the conditions.”

Most of this was true. The best lies were based on truth, after all. The System was as of yet an unknown entity in this world. Yoojin knew more than most, and even what he had learned was bare-bones.

“What were these requirements?” Song Taewon asks. He had leaned back, lips pursed.

Yoojin grimaces. “Well, that’s the thing. I never really found that out.” His eyes unfocus slightly as he thinks back. “But every time I tried to leave a dungeon, I was forced back inside. The only way to get a break was to clear the dungeon, but even then, I was only given brief respites before I had to enter another one."

Yoohyun shifted in his seat, his hand clenching slightly at the memory of his brother's absence. Taewon noticed but continued to focus on Yoojin.

Taewon’s eyes narrowed, and Yoojin knew the man wouldn’t believe him so easily. “You expect me to believe that?” Taewon asks. He hadn’t even written anything down yet.

Yoojin’s polite smile faltered slightly, but he held his ground. “It’s the truth. The system locked me in, and I was forced to get stronger to survive. The last dungeon I cleared met the criteria, I guess, and the next portal I went through dropped me in the dungeon Yoohyun found me in.”

"You were stuck in a cycle of dungeon raids for three and a half months?" Taewon’s tone remained calm, but the implication was heavy.

Yoojin nodded. "Yes. It was... difficult. But I managed."

“What is your class?” Taewon asks, frowning at him. He seems more concerned about Yoojin admitting to having Awakened, but his face is tense, as if he’s unhappy about this discovery. He seems almost perturbed. “Your rank?”

“I’m an S-rank. But I’m a support class hunter.” Yoojin says, like that would soften the blow any. 

The room seemed to grow colder at the announcement. Taewon’s eyes widened slightly, his composure slipping for just a fraction of a second before he regained it. Two S-ranks showing up in short succession of one another, first Yerim, and now Yoojin, must be even more upsetting to Taewon. Yoojin hoped he hadn’t complicated his life too much with his unintended deeds.

Taewon’s gaze sharpens, and he seems to be looking at Yoojin in a new light. Yoojin doesn’t let up on the suppression of his aura, not wanting to give Taewon more of a reason to dislike him. He gazes evenly back at the chief, lips curled awkwardly at the admission, squeezing Yoohyun’s knee beneath the table to keep him from standing up and posturing. His brother’s emotions are a literal wildfire through the Pack Bond.

“I see. Another S-rank in the Han family.” Taewon looks between the two brothers, as if sizing them up. Yoohyun glowers back at him, teeth nearly bared in a feral snarl. Yoojin was wary, seeing how much this news had deepened Taewon’s suspicions of him. 

Taewon crosses his arms, eyes narrowed, gazing harshly at Yoojin. He seems to be thinking hard about something, although he does not speak up for a while. Yoojin lets him ponder, pinching Yoohyun to convince him to do the same. Yoohyun doesn’t back off, but he doesn’t start anything either, so Yoojin counts that as a win.

"This changes things," Taewon finally said, his tone more guarded. "Your disappearance, as a civilian, was already a significant concern. But as an S-rank... the association will take a much closer interest in you."

Yoojin nodded, understanding the implications. "I expected as much."

"The fact that your initial entry into the dungeons was illegal complicates matters further," Taewon continued, his voice carrying a note of disapproval. "The association will likely use this as leverage."

Yoohyun's eyes narrowed at this, and he leaned forward slightly, ready to interject, but Taewon continued.

"The association will likely require you to assist them with certain tasks—dungeon raids, reconnaissance missions, that sort of thing. It will be positioned as a way to wipe your slate clean."

Yoojin didn’t react outwardly, but there was a subtle tension in his shoulders that Taewon didn’t miss. "I understand," Yoojin said quietly. "If that’s what needs to happen, then I’ll comply."

Yoohyun’s expression darkened at his brother’s words, but he remained silent, clearly not happy with the idea of Yoojin being used by the association.

Taewon watched the two brothers, noting the protective energy that radiated from Yoohyun. He could see how much Yoojin’s presence affected the usually cold and controlled guild leader, and it only added to the complexity of the situation.

Finally, Taewon breaks the tension-filled silence. “I’m going to attempt something. I mean no harm by it.” He said, his voice growing colder. 

Without warning, Taewon briefly unleashed the weight of his own aura. He is a powerful hunter, enough that other S-ranks like Bak Yerim or Moon Hyuna would twitch in surprise under the weight of his aura. He releases enough to press against Yoojin, to maybe make him flinch or react. Yoojin had said that he was a support class, which typically meant that even as an S-rank he’d be susceptible to noticeable reactions to strong auras. But Yoojin remained entirely unfazed, simply raising an eyebrow as if mildly amused. The pressure washed over him like water off a duck’s back. 

On the other hand, Yoohyun bristles and intervenes. He snarls as he leaps to his feet, fire flaring over his fists, only for the flames to be put out by his older brother pushing both him and his hands back down with little difficulty. Yoohyun glances at his brother, as if surprised by the impressive display of strength. Yoojin frowns at him, shaking his head in warning, before looking back at Song Taewon. 

“Is that all?” Yoojin asked, his tone light, as if Taewon had simply made a polite request.

“Watch yourself, Chief Song.” Yoohyun’s eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke up, dismissing his own surprise. His voice is tense and angry, filled with a warning that said he was barely holding back from stepping between Yoojin and Taewon. 

Taewon also fails to hide his surprise at how Yoojin had reacted to his test with an utter dismissal of his show of power. The older Han notices the shock in his expression before Taewon schools it, going back to a blank slate. It irks Yoojin a bit to see the man fight so blatantly against his own instincts. His control over his emotions was truly impressive, especially when compared side by side with Yoohyun’s reactions. 

“Your new rank makes you a significant risk, regardless of your intentions,” Taewon finally spoke once again, his suspicion still evident. “I’ll be personally escorting you to the Association for registration tomorrow morning, as it is too late in the evening to do so now. I will be speaking with the Chairman tonight about your case. Together with the board, we will determine fair punishment for your violation of Association and civilian laws due to your illegal participation in the initial dungeon raid you were involved in. Further questions will be discussed at that time. If you wish, you can hire a lawyer.”

Yoohyun cannot seem to restrain himself for a moment longer. He gets back onto his feet, slamming his hands down on the table, looming over Taewon’s seated form. “A lawyer?! My brother was missing for three months, after nearly being killed by those brokers who tricked him into going into a misranked dungeon, and now you want to make him out to be a criminal?! Song Taewon, you-”

“Of course. I’ll cooperate fully. I understand, so if that is what needs to happen, then I will comply.” Yoojin cut in smoothly, his posture relaxed. 

Yoohyun glares down at Yoojin, now, who stares back resolutely. “Hyung, you can’t just agree to this-”

“I can, and I will.” Yoojin retorts, remaining calm. “I’m aware of how suspicious the circumstances of my disappearance seem to someone who hadn’t experienced it themselves. Hell, I can hardly believe it myself, and I lived it. Chief Song is well within his rights, and is simply remaining cautious while handling such a case.”

Yoohyun growls under his breath, his eyes flashing dangerously. His aura had manifested, and flickering black flames surrounded his body. The heat warps the air around him. Taewon observes Yoojin sitting beside his brother, clearly unaffected by such a dangerous skill, not even reacting as the flames brush along his skin.

“But, hyung-”

“Chief Song. I do have a request.” Yoojin ignores his brother, meeting Taewon’s gaze again. The man inclines his head, as if saying he’ll hear him out. Yoohyun seethes. Yoojin continues his questioning. “One of my skills allows me to tame beasts. I tamed a fire manticore cub during my time lost in the dungeons, and I’d like to register them at the same time as myself. Would that be okay?”

“I will only allow it as I will be escorting you to the Association personally. Dungeon creatures are typically not allowed in public. Does this creature pose a threat to anyone?” Taewon acquiesces after a moment of silent deliberation. 

Yoojin fights back a grin, as he’d seen the smallest flash of interest in Song Taewon’s eyes when he mentioned a tamed beast. It seemed even Chief Song couldn’t suppress his interest in such a unique skill category. Or maybe he just liked animals. It was also likely that he’d agreed because seeing the result of Yoojin’s taming skills for himself would make it easier to determine his skill level. 

“Peace is no threat to anyone, unless they pose a threat to me.” Yoojin says lightly. “However, I can handle him properly and settle him if he does get provoked. There should be no issues at all with him accompanying us.”

“I will be going as well.” Yoohyun adds sharply, his eyes glacial. He says this to Song Taewon as if it is an order. 

Yoohyun then switches his angry gaze to Yoojin, clearly displeased with the progression of the conversation. It’s really too bad, because this is the worst case scenario Yoojin had already tried to mentally prepare himself for. Registering as an S-rank at a public building like the Association, accompanied by prevalent hunters such as Haeyeon’s guild leader and Chief Song, meant he would be drawing all sorts of unpleasant attention to himself. His stomach is already churning with nerves, his mind spiraling into all sorts of panicky thoughts about being hounded by the media. 

However unavoidable, Yoojin knows that he will be having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day tomorrow. 

“Hyung, I will ask Kim Hayeon to work with you again. So don’t worry about finding or paying for a lawyer.” Yoohyun says, instead of tearing into Yoojin like he sort of looked like he would.

“Ah, thank you.” Yoojin says quietly, feeling a little touched and very suddenly extremely overwhelmed. He feels as if ants are crawling under his skin now, and he looks back at Song Taewon, wanting nothing more than to hide away somewhere in Yoohyun’s loft so that he doesn't have to think about what he’d be subjected to soon. “Is there anything else we can do for you tonight, Chief Song?”

It’s a clear request to leave. Song Taewon analyzes Yoojin one final time, as if picking him apart and trying to figure him out. His eyes are dark with mistrust. Still, he agrees.

Finished with writing in his notepad, Taewon tucks the pencil and notebook away into his suit. He also tucks away the notes signed by Kim Harin declaring Yoojin’s physical health to be satisfactory. “Thank you again for your cooperation, Haeyeon guild leader-nim, and Han Yoojin-ssi. I will be booking a private room for your assessment tomorrow morning, and plan to arrive here at Haeyeon by 0800 sharp. Please be ready with whatever and whoever you need. I bid you a good evening.” He bows his head and makes his way to the door.

Yoojin is too distracted by his sudden anxieties to notice the last lingering, searching look that Song Taewon levels onto him before opening the door.

Seok Simyeong is still standing outside, now accompanied by Kim Sunghan. The two of them bow their heads at Yoohyun, glancing around Taewon’s broad form. They then proceed to escort the man away, and likely all of the way off of the guild premises. Song Taewon does not complain about the blatant babysitting, knowing that it would be foolish for them to let him wander a guild’s headquarters unattended. 

When he’s certain that Song Taewon is in the elevator headed downwards to the ground level, Yoojin slumps forward onto the table. He buries his head in his hands, sighing loudly. “Aghhhhh. He is far too diligent in his duties. I can’t believe Chief Song wants to assess me personally. That is too much pressure!”

“That is what you’re upset about, and not the fact that the Association likely plans to use you because of your new rank, and they’ll do it by saying it’s community service for having illegally entered a dungeon?!” Yoohyun says loudly and angrily. He’s pacing, his hands curled into fists. Black flames lick at his knuckles.

Yoojin peeks over at him, glancing through his arms. “We planned for this, too. It’s not like it’s something we weren’t prepared for.” Although, it was still the worst case scenario. You can’t really play the victim card if you’re an S-rank. If Yoojin had still been an F-rank, things would be very different.

“You are way too relaxed about this. Do you not care about the Association using you, hyung? They aren’t beneath blackmailing and bribery. I’m sure Kim Hayeon and Seok Simyeong can figure something out…” Yoohyun trails off, pausing, appearing deep in thought. 

“I’ll allow Kim Hayeon to help me with my case, but I am also okay with clearing some dungeons and assisting the Association for a little while. I can use this as an opportunity for myself, too. And when I’m finished, I’ll have both a clean record and a base to work off of.” Yoojin says decisively, blowing his bangs out of his eyes.

Yoohyun frowns at his older brother in dismay. “I don’t want you to go into a dungeon anytime soon. You won’t be entering any dungeons anytime soon.”

Yoojin blinks slowly up at him. “If the Association wants me to clear dungeons for community service, I can’t exactly say no.”

"You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, hyung." Yoohyun says, voice firm.

Yoojin smiled softly, his face falling into a weary but sincere expression. "I know, Yoohyun. But sometimes, we don’t have a choice."

Yoohyun’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He took in the sight of his hyung’s shuttered expression and dropped the conversation there. There was no doubt the two of them would revisit the topic at a later time.

Han Yoojin had in fact played with Peace upon returning to the flame horned lion’s side. 

It seemed the shock of Yoojin leaving him behind for even as long as the meeting with Song Taewon had made the manticore panic after a while. Yoojin’s eyes widened as they approached the room they’d left Peace in. Most of the greenhouse appeared charred and some remnants even flickered with weak flames. It seemed that sprinklers had put out most of the fires, but Yoojin had no doubt as to the cause. Yoohyun seemed largely unamused, but didn’t look too upset when Yoojin chanced a guilty look at his brother.

“Um, I’m sorry about your plants…?” Yoojin said sheepishly, ignoring Yoohyun’s deadpan glance in between him and the smoking flora. “I can get some more for you! Since Peace is my responsibility, after all.”

“You’re not going into a dungeon just to pay me back. I can assign a raid team to obtain what we’ve lost.” Yoohyun sighed, as if resigned to the chaos his brother’s return had already brought to him thus far. It had barely even been two full days, and Yoojin had gotten tangled up with the Association, and his dungeon creature had wholly destroyed Haeyeon’s greenhouse of dungeon plants. “...so, just don’t worry about it, hyung.”

To be completely honest, Yoohyun didn’t mind at all. At least, not enough to ever make his hyung pay him back for something like this. The fire manticore on the other hand… 

The Han brothers entered the glass enclosure. Barely even a few steps in, Yoojin had been forced to react quickly as he caught a much larger version of Peace in his arms than what they’d left behind. The manticore was purring raucously, its mane having grown long and wild like flames, its paws nearly the size of Yoojin’s face. Yoohyun moved to intercept, but Yoojin had turned and grinned in pride at Peace’s new skill, his fingers already buried in its fur. He held the large creature up with ease.

“No way! You learned the giganticize skill just while we were gone?!” Yoojin rubbed away at Peace’s thick mane, enamored by the feel of his fur. Peace nuzzled its newly giant head beneath Yoojin’s chin. Yoojin activated Promising Sprout, checking Peace’s stats. “And now you’re B-rank! And have your second A-rank skill! Aww, Peace, I’m so proud of you!”

“Hyung.” Yoohyun interrupted, and Yoojin misses the shared glare between Peace and Yoohyun as his eyes are too busy admiring Peace’s fiery mane. 

“Yes?” Yoojin asks, not looking at his brother, petting Peace thoroughly and unloading praises unto the beast. He does throw in some admonishments for their thoroughly burned surroundings, but neither of them pay the sight much attention.

“Hyung-” Again, Yoohyun is ignored. 

Yoojin chokes out a surprised laugh when Peace suddenly plants all four of its paws on the ground. It then noses at Yoojin’s shoulders, urging him to get on. Yoojin’s eyes light up. “You want me to get on your back?” 

Kkiang! Peace barks in agreement, and Yoojin doesn’t waste any time. With another nudge from Peace, he uses the monster’s mane to boost himself up and onto its back. With only a cut off shout from Yoohyun, the two of them take off through the enclosure. Peace races around at full speed, Yoojin’s hair blown back by the breeze created in their mad dash. He’s laughing without restraint, genuinely enthralled by the experience of mounting a beast for the first time. He hadn’t obtained custody of Peace with the intention in mind, but the reality of the possibilities Peace could bring to the table hit him hard. Yoojin was elated.

They pass Yoohyun a few times during their impromptu, rapid tour of the enclosure. With every lap his face grows more stormy. This is what convinces Yoojin to pat Peace gently on the side to signal the end. Peace seems a little reluctant, but he comes to a stop where they had started. Yoojin hops down, his face flushed with exhilaration. Peace shrinks back down to his juvenile size, and Yoojin immediately sweeps him back up into his hold. He presses kisses to the manticore’s head, and is rewarded with aggressive purring.

“You’re so amazing, Peace! Imagine clearing dungeons now that you’re able to get bigger! Ah, Peace-yah, I can’t wait to see you in action-”

“Hyung.”

Yoojin pauses mid-sentence, glancing up at his brother. For the first time in a little while, he gives Yoohyun his full attention. His brother’s eyes are dark and upset, his expression shadowed with tension. 

“You won’t be going into dungeons for a while. Especially not with your beast. Do I have to remind you what happened last time?” Yoohyun presses, unable to keep quiet any longer. His restraint shatters, the dam bursting and water shooting forth with deadly force. “I almost lost you, hyung. I don’t care what the fucking association has to say. I won’t allow it.”

Yoojin blinks, befuddled by the intensity and the foul language. His eyebrows pinch together, and he draws Peace closer. “Yah, Han Yoohyun! Mind what you say, I’m still your hyung. And I’ll be the first to admit that what happened to me was… unprecedented, but it’s also never happened to anyone else! It is highly unlikely that it will happen again, I’d think. And even if it did, I don’t plan on leaving you behind again. Never again.”

Yoojin doesn’t ever plan on leaving his brother behind if he can help it. He doesn’t even want to part with him in the foreseeable future. The only way for Yoojin to ground himself, outside of the pack bond he’d used when in another dimension entirely because of the dungeons, was to hear his brother’s heart beating for himself. Even now, the strong but quiet thumps his SS-rank sensitive hearing could pick out separately was helping him hold onto his sanity. Yoojin really would go crazy if he had to separate from Yoohyun again. 

“Seriously, Yoohyunie. Now that we’re together, there’s nothing that can come between us. You’re my number one priority. Always.” Yoojin steps closer to his little brother and draws him into a one armed hug, easily holding Peace in his other arm. Yoohyun still looks upset but allows Yoojin to manipulate his movements without complaint. He melts into the hug, exhaling sharply, relaxing just a bit.

“...Can we go back to the loft, hyung? Would you like to rest some more?” Yoohyun asks, extremely obvious about his intentions. 

It’s too bad that Yoojin is oblivious. 

Yoojin pinches his brows together, stepping back. “I’m really not tired. I slept a lot, and ate well. And there is too much to think about right now. Plus, I haven’t even done my exercises yet! Yoohyun, you must have a training center here, right? This would be the perfect time to help Peace acclimatize to combat in a larger form! Ah, I’ll have to learn how to adjust to it too, Peace-yah. Your mana flow feels a little different in that new form…” 

While Yoojin begins thinking out loud, as if unused to having to filter his thoughts, Yoohyun is silent. He listens quietly to his brother’s enthusiastic ideas on how to combine his skills with Peace’s new form. The manticore’s ears are perked up, listening intently to its owner's words. Yoohyun, too, is intrigued by how Yoojin’s brain seemed to work. 

His brother seemed very knowledgeable about his own skills. Yoojin also seemed well-versed in using them in conjunction with his dungeon creature. The half-finished sentences as Yoojin thought out loud, switching between speaking his mind and thinking silently, was also very noticeably a new habit. Yoohyun didn’t know how lonely Yoojin had been all this time, because maybe the habit had even formed before he’d spent months in isolation with only dungeon creatures for companionship. It was as endearing as it was worrying with its implications.

“Hyung, are you sure you don’t want to go back and rest first?” Yoohyun finally speaks up. 

He really would like his older brother to take it easy, but he also understands the itch for action. S-ranks did not naturally stay still for long, especially if they had a new skill at their fingertips. Also, Yoohyun was curious. Just what was his brother capable of? Or the beast he’d tamed? The mere thought fills him with anticipation, but his concern overrides his curiosity.

Yoojin jolts, startled from his thoughts, and blinks large silver eyes at his little brother. He stares at Yoohyun, who feels stripped bare, as if his brother could read all of his thoughts and emotions. Finally, Yoojin’s eyes curve up in a grin and he holds his pinky finger out to Yoohyun. The younger Han stares at the digit warily, uncertain of the intention.

“Do you trust me, Yoohyunie?” Yoojin asks, his grin wide enough to draw Yoohyun’s eyes to his sharp teeth. 

“Always, hyung.” Yoohyun breathes out, interlocking their pinkies together. With a subtle twist, the two brothers press the pads of their thumbs together and seal the deal.

“Then believe me when I say I’m fine right now. I promise.” Yoojin says happily, his eyes glittering with delight at his brother’s reciprocation of the method they’d used for childhood promises. 

“I believe you, hyung.” Yoohyun says after a beat, trying to find any traces of discomfort in Yoojin’s expression. 

He’s unsuccessful, and it makes him relax. His brother wasn’t a civilian anymore, and while he had gone through a lot in the last few months, he was also an S-rank now. Yoohyun was reassured that the food and rest had been enough to put Yoojin in good spirits and fine health. It was a relief to know his brother could handle himself well, but it would be hard to break Yoohyun’s protective mentality. Everything he’d done was to protect Yoojin. Everything he would do was also to ensure his brother’s health and safety. That would not change anytime soon, if ever. Even if Yoojin was the same rank as him, now.

Yoohyun is also not so clueless as to miss the unconscious, but subtle “right now” in Yoojin’s response. No matter how okay Yoojin seemed, Yoohyun would do his best to look after his hyung. Whatever he’d been through was truly novel, and even if Yoojin had awakened as an S-rank and managed to keep himself alive while raiding dungeons on his own for this long, he couldn’t have been left entirely unaffected. His actions right before his disappearance and upon his return had proven as much. 

“I will show you to the training center.” Yoohyun relents, feeling cheered by Yoojin’s enthusiastic fist pump. 

“Alright! Let’s go!” Yoojin exclaims, holding Peace out in front of him. The little creature yowls with equal enthusiasm, and while that annoys Yoohyun, his brother’s excitement stirs his own. 

Yoohyun can’t wait to see a little bit of what his brother is capable of as an awakened person.

“Let’s go.”

They leave the conference room shortly after.

“AHJUSSI!” 

If only Bak Yerim wasn’t here.

Ire fills Yoohyun as his newest high-ranked guild member bombards his hyung as soon as they enter the training area. He thought he’d told Kim Sunghan to clear the training center out before they arrived. Yoohyun can’t even intercept the two of them because Yoojin seems just as enthused to see Bak Yerim as she was to see him. Peace was on the ground at Yoojin’s feet, eyes narrowed at the newcomer, tail tip flicking from side to side. 

Yoohyun had known Bak Yerim had been spending plenty of time training, as Kim Sunghan had kept him informed of her movements per his request. He’d been awfully suspicious of their connection and how Bak Yerim knew his older brother, as there had been no indications of them ever having met before Yoojin had gone missing. It was highly suspicious. 

“Yerim-ie! How are you?!” Yoojin greeted, beaming as he caught the girl in his arms.

She’d come flying at him from above, having been training her flight skill before they walked in, but he had grabbed her with ease. Yoohyun had never seen Bak Yerim as lively or bright as she was now. His blood boils at the way she looks at his hyung, as if he’d hung all of the stars in the sky for her. What right did she have to his affection and attention? Really, how did they know one another?

“Ahjussi! I missed you so much! Are you okay?! How are you feeling?” Bak Yerim is in a princess carry in Yoojin’s arms, seeming quite pleased about it, her hands shaking his shoulders roughly as she questions him. Her face looks quite stern, but her eyes sparkle with delight at seeing Yoojin. 

“I feel great, Yerim, so you don’t need to worry. I rested, and Yoohyun made sure I ate a lot.” Yoojin tells the girl, setting her on her feet.

He then straightened out her training clothes, fussing over the teenager. Yoojin’s keen eyes seem to notice the same things that Yoohyun does. Her face was flushed ever so slightly, sweat on her brow causing her bangs to stick to her face. She had been training herself quite hard, it seemed. Harder than Yoohyun was used to seeing her train, and he was already aware of how much Bak Yerim pushed herself for unknown reasons. Seeing how she looked at his older brother, however… Was Yoojin one of those reasons?  

What was the connection between these two, really?

“Are you drinking a lot of water? You should rest a bit!” Yoojin worries over her like a parent; the same exact way he worries over Yoohyun. 

It makes his heart ache with both pain and fury, striking Yoohyun with an unfamiliar feeling of intense jealousy. Yoojin was his hyung. His. How could Bak Yerim have earned this sort of care from his hyung, without Yoohyun being any the wiser of them having ever met before? His hands were clenched painfully into fists, his eyes narrowed in anger directed at Bak Yerim as he watched the two interact.

“I’m fine, ahjussi! I wanted to get stronger for you!” Yerim says, but she is clearly soaking up Yoojin’s attention. She looks younger this way, more her age, turning to him like a sunflower would chase the sun. 

“You changed your hair, too. It looks great, Yerim-ie. And you look healthier. How has Haeyeon guild been treating you? How did you end up choosing Haeyeon guild anyway?” Yoojin pesters her, ruffling her hair as Bak Yerim wraps her arms around Yoohyun’s hyung and melts into his side. 

Yoohyun is so focused on his own jealousy and disbelief that he doesn’t notice Peace was now at his side, staring at the two with his eyes narrowed in dismay. The two of them are united in their shared jealousy. Bak Yerim seems to know this, too, and the haughty smirk she sends them around Yoojin’s shoulder is the tipping point. Peace and Yoohyun bristle, teeth bared, as Yoojin dotes on the young S-rank.

“I had Song Taewon help me figure things out. Even though he was very business-like and strict the whole time, he was helpful. We narrowed things down after a lot of talking. The Seseong guild offered the highest paying contract, but I don’t know much about the guild leader, so I didn’t sign with them. Even though Soyoung-unni was really cool, it didn’t feel like the right choice. I was stuck between choosing the Breaker guild or Haeyeon, but, ah… honestly, boss man kind of reminded me of you… and the terms of my contract were accepted as being quite impressive, when I showed Simyeong-ajussi. So I decided on choosing Haeyeon guild! And I’m so glad I did, because I was able to find you again!” 

Yerim squeezes Yoojin tightly, brows furrowed, an expression of worry and concern warring on her face as she tips her head back to look up at Yoojin. “You can’t ever go off alone like that again, ahjussi. Boss man or I can go with you, so long as you don’t get stuck alone in a dungeon like that again!”

Yoohyun agrees with this, even though he wouldn’t let just Bak Yerim go into a dungeon with his hyung. Yoohyun would go wherever Yoojin went. And seeing how attached Yoojin seemed to be to this middle schooler, maybe he’d consider allowing her to go with them. If Yoojin even entered a dungeon anytime soon. Which Yoohyun was not keen on letting happen.

Han Yoohyun didn’t trust anyone with his hyung’s safety. He isn’t sure if he ever would. Not after watching him be taken away so easily, even when he was an arm’s reach from Yoohyun himself. It had been the single most terrifying and devastating moment of Yoohyun’s life. 

“How do you know so much about hyung’s situation?” Yoohyun says instead of what he’d been thinking. His question is more of a demand, his eyes burning into Bak Yerim’s gaze. 

“Ah, we can talk about it later.” Yoojin interrupts, silencing Yerim, who had opened her mouth to argue with Yoohyun. Yoohyun’s anger cools in the slightest, although his interest only grows. Yoojin’s eyes are narrowed, head canted in a way that suggests to Yoohyun that he’d like that conversation to be held in private. 

Yoojin then looks at the young girl in his hold, his eyes softening. “Would you like to have dinner with us after training, Yerim-ie? We can catch up more while we eat.”

“What?! No way. I’m not having her in my home.” Yoohyun bites out, pointing at Bak Yerim much like a child would.

“I’m not going into his home!” Yerim bites back, equally as childish, seeming appalled.

Yoojin seems thrown by the clear dislike the two held for one another. His voice is confused when he speaks. “Aren’t you two colleagues? Can you not handle one meal together? Yoohyunie, I would really like to catch up with Yerim, too. And Yerim-ie, I would love to talk somewhere I know we won’t be interrupted.”

This was also code for Yoojin wanting to talk in a place no one aside from those who were already present could listen in. But Yoohyun did not want Bak Yerim in his home. Especially when she would be diligently drawing Yoojin’s attention away from Yoohyun, just like Yoojin’s dungeon creature. Speaking of Peace, the manticore was seemingly pouting at being ignored. Its ears and tail were drooping, eyes still narrowed in dislike at the goings-on. 

“I know that it’s your home, Yoohyunie, but this is a conversation we need to have.” Yoojin chides, looking a little uncomfortable. “But seeing as it is your place, I can’t force you to let people in. Is there another place in the building-”

“It is your home too, hyung. What is mine is yours.” Yoohyun interrupts, practically forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “...so, if you want to invite others… I guess that is okay.” He speaks as if it physically pains him to say so.

Yoojin still seems uncertain, looking at his brother’s expression. “Um, if you’re really not comfortable, Yoohyun, we can-”

“It is your home too, hyung. I insist.” Yoohyun forcibly softens his tone, ignoring Bak Yerim’s pinched look. 

He did not like seeing that expression on his hyung’s face; a visual of feeling unwelcome to do as he pleased in a space Yoohyun had already decided to give up for his brother, too. It’s worth it to see Yoojin’s expression clear up and brighten, because that smile is aimed at Yoohyun this time. Han Yoojin is the sun to his sunflower, not Bak Yerim’s, see?

“Thank you, Yoohyunie!” Yoojin beams, before stepping away from Yerim and beckoning Peace over to him. He kneels down, winking up at Yerim. “Yerim, we actually came here to train too. Peace learned a new skill, so we wanted to see what we could do with it.”

The two S-classes aim their discontent gazes at the monster this time, who ignores them completely. Peace straightens immediately and bounds over to Yoojin’s side. Its ears perk up, tail standing straight in the air, little chirrups of excitement escaping its mouth. It seems to know what Yoojin is thinking already. Is it wrong for Yoohyun to be so jealous of a dungeon creature that knows how to read his hyung’s intent so easily?

“Let’s try an obstacle course, huh? We’ll start slow, so I can feel out your mana and adjust to your new size. Once we’re comfortable, we can try some tricks, Peace-yah!” Yoojin instructs, and Peace nods its little head. 

In the blink of an eye, it grows into its large form. Yerim exclaims in surprise, eyes sharp with curiosity. Peace shakes itself out, watching Yoojin carefully. Yoojin grins in expectation, flicking his wrist, and both Yoohyun and Yerim exclaim in surprise at what happens next. Silver constructs form all throughout the training room, made of various shapes and sizes. Yoohyun pokes one in curiosity, but feels Yerim’s gaze on his back, so he quickly schools his expression and steps away from her. Yerim squints at her boss and climbs onto one of the constructs without fear, sitting on it and swinging her legs, ready to watch the events unfold. 

“You go up first, Peace, and I’ll follow. Okay?” Yoojin asks, absentmindedly changing the shape of the construct Yerim was sitting on into a chair. The youngest S-rank giggles in surprise, rubbing her fingers on the mana construct, seeming awed by the feel of it. 

Yoohyun suddenly finds himself rising into the air on another one of the constructs, but easily maintains balance. It’s a moving platform, with him in the center. He shoots his hyung a questioning gaze, uncertain about what he wanted him to do. Yoohyun does reach out to feel another construct that moves close to his face, though, while ignoring Bak Yerim’s snort. 

Peace moves its large head in a nod, signaling it was ready, before leaping onto the closest construct. It begins to leap around the training center, staying in the air with only the constructs Yoojin had created out of mana as its footholds. There is no uncertainty in its movements; no lack of trust to be seen. It is clear to Yoohyun just how much faith the manticore has in his hyung and his skills. 

Yoojin’s eyes track everything, completely focused. “Let’s speed things up a bit, and make it more difficult, Peace! Let me catch you.” In a blink, all of the constructs aside from the ones that Yerim and Yoohyun are spectating from, and the one Peace was perched on, crumble and disappear.

Without a single ounce of hesitation, Peace jumps outwards where there are no constructs to be seen. He’d been at the highest point in the room, and while a fall from that height wouldn’t kill a B-rank monster, it might cause minor injuries. Yet the beast does not doubt Yoojin’s ability to catch it in the least. 

As if to prove that Yoojin would never let him fall, malleable constructs form individually under all four of Peace’s feet. The monster bunches its muscles and leaps, once again returning to its race around the room, remaining exclusively in the air. Yoojin’s constructs keep up with ease, and Yoojin himself seems satisfied. He’s grinning, arms crossed over his chest, eyes glimmering with enthusiasm.

“You’re amazing, Peace-yah!” Yoojin calls out, clapping loudly.

Peace chuffs back at its master, sticking its chest out in pride. Yoohyun scowls at the creature. Bak Yerim seems to have been swept up in the excitement, and is standing on the arms of her mana-chair, cheering loudly.

Yoojin laughs at the sight, and then suddenly the room is once again filled with differently shaped constructs of various sizes. It’s a complete obstacle course, suitable for both humans and creatures. Yoojin grins at his brother and Bak Yerim.

“You can try to run around on the constructs too, if you want to, Yerim-ie, Yoohyunie. I haven’t had a chance to use this skill with anyone other than myself and Peace, so this would be good practice.”

“Are you sure, hyung?” Yoohyun asks. He glares at Yerim, and she frowns, remaining in place for now. Yoohyun wouldn’t want her to get too swept up in excitement and make his hyung tired from using his skill, although Yoojin looked completely fine.

“Are you going to do it too?” Yerim asks, now looking a tad concerned about Yoojin pushing himself.

Yoojin wrinkles his nose at them both incredulously, rolling his eyes. Casually, he jumps several feet into the air, landing effortlessly on a construct. He strolls through the air, footholds appearing under his feet with each step, until he reaches Yoohyun’s side. He’s within arm’s reach of his little brother, now, and turns his head to glance at Yerim.

“Do you two trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

They both answer simultaneously. Their heads whip around to glare at one another, lightning shooting between their gazes. Peace is chuffing, almost as if laughing, its hindquarters wriggling, as it had dropped into a perfect stance to pounce from.

Yoojin sighs, sounding a mix of fond and exasperated. He reaches out and smacks a hand on his little brother’s shoulder, swallowing laughter at the look of confusion that Yoohyun shoots at him. “Great. This will be fun. Don’t use any flight skills, and trust my skills to catch you as you move around. Tag, Yoohyunie, you’re it.” 

And then Yoojin darts away, smothering his laughter into his palm. He hadn’t played tag with his little brother in so long. Yoohyun blinks for a moment, stunned, and Yerim seizes the opportunity. She leaps out and away from her guild leader, running across Yoojin’s obstacle course with ease, beginning to giggle in excitement. Even when she shouts out in exhilaration, jumping into the air in a free fall, Yoojin’s constructs form beneath her feet so that she can push off of them and continue to run through the air. Yoohyun had chosen to target Yerim, and she sticks her tongue out at him as she races away. 

Yoojin and Peace had gathered at the other end of the room. Yoojin was laughing, eyes alight in mirth, and something in Yoohyun’s chest loosens at the sight. He can’t really… remember his brother being so happy, before. Especially not during the stretch of time Yoohyun had wasted by pushing him away. But doing this, being here, with Bak Yerim and the fire manticore and Han Yoohyun, had brought more life to his eyes than Yoohyun had seen in a very long time. 

Yoojin seemed to have shaken off the nerves that had formed when speaking with Kim Hayeon and Seok Simyeong, and had only been exacerbated by Song Taewon’s orders. He truthfully hadn’t looked well after Song Taewon had left the room. The mention of being escorted to the association building to register had, for some reason, acted as a sort of trigger. Yoohyun may have understood his brother being nervous about registering, and having to work for the association for a time, but there seemed to be a lot more to it. Yoojin looked almost sick at the thought of facing tomorrow’s schedule. 

It made Yoohyun’s protective instincts flare like nothing else. It’s why he’d suggested they go to the loft and rest. He figured some quiet time together might have helped Yoojin to relax. But this, too… playing around with them, while also using this time to test the limits of Yoojin’s mana manipulation skill, had worked much better than Yoohyun would have thought. It pleases him to see Yoojin so happy, even if Yoohyun detests having to share Yoojin’s attention with Bak Yerim and the fire manticore. 

“You’re it.” Yoohyun says like a threat, teeth bared, as he catches up to Bak Yerim and tags her. The air begins to haze around him from the heat his body was generating.

“Not for long, boss man!” Yerim grits back, the air cooling around her. 

“No skills! Just physical avoidance!” Yoojin instructs, appearing between the two of them, standing on Peace’s back. 

With a strict look, the barriers the two had been standing on suddenly launched them in opposite directions. Both Yerim and Yoohyun are forced to reorient themselves, grumbling beneath their breath. But Yoojin is laughing at their expressions, and they both soften without realizing. 

“Oh, it’s on, ahjussi.” Yerim bites out playfully, and then she darts towards Yoojin without abandon. 

Yoojin’s eyes widen slightly, and then his grin grows, teeth showing. “You’ll have to catch me!” 

Yerim accepts the challenge with a shout. She doesn’t realize just how difficult Yoojin would be to keep up with, however. Even Yoohyun is dumbfounded, keeping to the side so that Bak Yerim couldn’t tag him back, watching closely to make sure that she couldn’t do anything to Yoojin in her attempts to catch him. Yoojin was really, really fast. Yoohyun wondered what his stamina stat was. Or his mana stat. Keeping all of these constructs up, while simultaneously and subconsciously creating more to catch all four of them whilst they moved throughout the room, was incredibly skillful. 

Yoojin seemed well-versed in using his skills, and testing their limits. How much time had he invested in training? Had he been forced to train while in combat, or had he had any time to focus entirely on training? There was still so much Yoohyun didn’t know about what his hyung had been through.

It seemed he’d gotten too deep in thought, and as he wasn’t threatened by his brother’s absent aura at all, he wasn’t expecting Yoojin to appear at his side again and tag him. Yoohyun reacted immediately, arm lashing out to tag Yoojin back, almost surprised when he made contact. Yoojin was fast enough to dodge, even at this distance, but Yoohyun quickly realizes why he’d allowed himself to be tagged back. 

“Peace! Your turn!” Yoojin cackles, dashing forward to tag Peace. The monster growled playfully as it was tagged, quickly bounding after Yoojin, who had pivoted and decided to run towards Yerim. 

“Run! Don’t let him tag you!” Yoojin warned, chuckling enthusiastically.

Yerim’s eyes widened, a grin spreading across her cheeks. She takes off at Yoojin’s side, Peace hot on their heels, and they both run towards Yoohyun. Surprised by the move, Yoohyun pivots and jumps away, his breath catching in his throat as he dodges. Had he…? He’d almost laughed. Playing tag. With his hyung and two others that shouldn’t have been there but were because hyung wanted them to be.

In the end, the four of them ended up playing tag for a long time. Kim Sunghan had kept other hunters from entering the training room, so they hadn’t been interrupted. They had only stopped when Yoohyun’s keen eyes picked up the slightest tension in Yoojin’s brow, taking it as a sign of strain. He doesn’t think that Yoojin had used much mana, and his brother seemed to have large reserves, so it made him wonder if his brother was still fatigued and was just ignoring it. Yoohyun brought the game to an abrupt close by leaping to the ground and declaring that hyung needed to eat, and he guessed Bak Yerim and Peace could come along.

That was how the four of them ended up together in the penthouse atop the Haeyeon guild building. Yoohyun was cooking, not trusting Bak Yerim anywhere near the food. But he had allowed Yoojin to help him prepare the meal, at his hyung’s insistence. It felt good to move around the kitchen with Yoojin at his side, if he ignored that Bak Yerim was keeping up a steady commentary of her adjustment to Haeyeon guild. And that a dungeon creature was curled up on his hyung’s slippers, now small again, where Yoojin stood and chopped vegetables.

Yoohyun had finally learned that somehow, Bak Yerim had met his hyung in one of the dungeons he’d cleared. And he’d learned that it hadn’t just been Bak Yerim who had cleared said dungeon as previously believed, after the brokers she’d been with had tricked her and left her for dead, forcing her to awaken and clear it herself. 

It was far different from the story she’d given the association. She had had Yoojin’s help. Yoojin had even talked her through the process of awakening, and explained the best way to form a contract and choose a guild. He had even urged her to lean on Song Taewon for help. He’d helped Bak Yerim through every step, without any bias, and somehow she had still chosen Haeyeon guild on her own.

Without knowing that her guild leader was the younger brother of the man who had saved her.

“So, Hyuna-unni did help me a bit too after she heard Taewon-ssi was helping me adjust. She said that it wouldn’t be good for association propaganda to get into my head, just like you said, too, ahjussi. They’re all a bunch of jerks for the most part, and while Taewon-ssi did make sure things were fair, he never really pushed back against what those old jerks tried to add into my contract. Hyuna-unni yelled at all of them for trying to take advantage of my age, but she also got in trouble with Breaker's investors for it. So I ended up choosing Haeyeon, because boss man and Simyeong-ahjussi agreed with all the terms you’d told me to include to make it fair for me. They even let me put off choosing a guardian for this long, because one of the clauses stated that it had to be my choice, and within six months!”

“That’s fantastic, Yerim!” Yoojin said, genuinely happy for her and what she’d accomplished. He then looks a little uncertain. “About the guardian thing-”

“I can wait until you’re done with your community service or whatever, ahjussi! It shouldn’t take that long, maybe a month at the most, right? Once your record is clear, they really won’t have a reason to refuse you becoming my guardian!” Yerim beams. Her feet are swinging from where she sits on a stool at the counter, watching the brothers cook. 

Yoohyun’s head snaps up, and he suddenly interjects in the conversation, staring at his hyung. “You plan to become her guardian?” His heart races at the thought. Hyung was his guardian. What was so special about Bak Yerim? Was Yoohyun not enough?

Yoojin looks even more uncomfortable now. He glances at Yerim, and then back at Yoohyun. “I mean… I wouldn’t mind becoming your guardian, Yerim. I’d love to, even. But I don’t… I mean… ah, shoot. I don’t know if I’m in a good enough place for it…?”

Suddenly, he’s faced by two equally scandalized, worried looks. 

“What does that mean, hyung? Are you okay?”

“What? Ahjussi, if you’re worried about money-”

Yoojin waves his hands, chewing the inside of his cheek anxiously. “No, no, relax! I just mean, um, I don’t know if I’m suited to be a guardian-”

Again, he’s pinned in place by two equally scandalized, worried looks, now with much louder protests. 

“What?! Hyung, you were a wonderful guardian, you were the best guardian-”

“You have done so much for me in such little time! You didn’t even know me when you saved me! I trust you to be my guardian and I don’t want anyone else!”

Entirely overwhelmed, Yoojin frowns, his skin prickling with anxiety. He can’t help his discomfort. 

Yoohyun notices, and speaks up, glaring at Yerim. “Bak Yerim. Not now. Revisit the topic later.” 

However much Yoohyun would like to shut it down completely, he’s a little worried by how Yoojin would take it. Why else would Yoojin be reacting so strongly?

Yoojin shoots him a grateful look, and that settles it. Yerim drops the conversation, but seems displeased about it, glowering at the counter. Yoojin ropes her into helping him set the table, while Yoohyun brings the food out. Yoojin accepts some mana stones and monster meat from his younger brother and sets Peace’s food down so that the manticore can eat, too. Once they’re all sitting down, Yerim and Yoohyun wait for Yoojin to begin to eat before they tuck in. Yerim eats with enthusiasm, but Yoohyun eats calmly, and Yoojin seems to have gotten lost in thought. He slowly brings his chopsticks to his mouth and chews, eyes unfocused.

“Try this, hyung.” Yoohyun says, hoping to get his attention, pleased when Yoojin’s eyes clear. Yoojin accepts what he’d set on his plate.

“Oh! Ahjussi, try this.” Yerim follows suit, putting some more food on Yoojin’s plate. 

Yoohyun glares at her, but does not stop her. Yoojin really did need to gain more weight, and Yoohyun had made this food himself. This much was fine.

“So, ahjussi. Will you tell me more about what you were doing in those dungeons, and why you couldn’t leave, now that you’re out?” Yerim presses when they've finished eating. Again, Yoohyun doesn’t stop her. This time, it’s because he is also curious.

Yoojin runs his fingers down Peace’s spine, as the manticore had climbed onto his lap at some point. “Mmm. Well. After I awakened in the first dungeon, where Yoohyun found me, I got this warning saying I wasn’t allowed to leave. So I allowed myself to be pulled through into the next dungeon, since I’d never heard of this happening before. I didn’t want to risk something terrible happening if I resisted. I woke up in a new dungeon with instructions on my status window telling me to adjust to my new rank and skills. After a week of that, I entered the dungeon where I met you, Yerim-ie. That was my first kind-of solo raid, I guess.”

“Really?”

“Your first?”

Yoohyun and Yerim blurt at the same time. They glare at one another and then look away. Yoojin sighs and answers.

“Yes. And then a couple weeks after that, I met Peace in another dungeon and took him with me. I saved him after his mother and littermates were killed by a different fire manticore. We were together pretty much the whole time I was away, clearing dungeons. I never did learn much about why I was the only one stuck in this loop, though. I just knew that the system wanted me to learn more about my skills and that I wouldn’t be able to go back home until I’d satisfied whatever unclear conditions had been set. Just… you know. I cleared dungeons. Over and over again. There’s not really much to say about it.”

“Did you meet anyone else while clearing dungeons?” Yerim asks, eyes wide. “I also heard fire manticores only came from the S-rank dungeon located here in South Korea. You cleared an S-rank dungeon alone?”

“Yes and yes.” Yoojin sighs, eyes unfocusing again. This habit really worries Yoohyun. “I did meet someone else, but I don’t expect to see them again. They are probably doing well on their own now. And yes, I did clear the dungeon I found Peace in. Peace was too young then to help much, but we learned quickly how to work together, didn’t we? Peace-yah?”

Peace meowed and rubbed its head under Yoojin’s chin. Yoojin grinned down at the manticore, rubbing its ears. Yoohyun begrudgingly admits that the creature does seem to help his brother. He may have to completely give in to the thought of keeping it around, since Yoojin cared for it so much. 

“Wow, I already knew it, but you’re really amazing, ahjussi.” Yerim says, seeming awed. Yoohyun would have to agree with her, not that he’d let her know that. 

Yoojin doesn’t seem to accept the praise well. “Not really. I was just, ah, surviving. Still, I did learn a lot about my capabilities and my limits. So that is something good I got from all of that, I guess.”

“You really are skilled with your mana manipulation, hyung.” Yoohyun speaks up. 

He didn’t have a flight skill of his own, so being able to utilize Yoojin’s mana constructs to be able to fight mid-air had gotten him thinking of all of the possibilities. Why didn’t his hyung want to join his guild? The guild Yoohyun had built purely because he had wanted to protect his hyung? He really didn’t understand.

“Not only can you create barriers and use it to form physical constructs and weapons, but you can suppress it like it’s not even there. And you perform all of these at a much higher level than anything I’ve heard of before.” Yoohyun continues, adamant about how impressive his hyung was.

Yerim picks up on where he’s going with this. “Yes! And you can use it to sense things, right? And catch monsters? Just think, three S-ranks at Haeyeon! With all of our skills combined, we’ll be at the top in no time!” 

Yoojin grimaces, looking guilty, because he hadn’t told Yerim about his future plans in detail yet. “I actually do plan to freelance, Yerim-ie. Although Haeyeon would certainly be my first pick if I joined a guild. I can help strengthen South Korea as a whole with my skills, though, so that’s what I plan on doing. Dungeons are only getting more difficult as time goes on.”

“Why is that your responsibility, though?” Yerim whines. “You should do what you want to, not what you think you have to. That’s what I do!”

Yoojin sighs. “Yeah, I know. But I also know what I’m doing by not joining a guild. Trust me when I say this is the best course of action. I have a bad feeling about the dungeons, especially after everything…”

It figures Yoojin would know a little more than average. Yoohyun knew what may await them in the future too. But now that Yoojin was also an S-rank, does that mean he could be taken away with Yoohyun? Did they even have to stay and fight for a dying world? So long as Yoohyun was with his hyung, he was fine with whatever. But it seemed that Yoojin was set on staying and fighting, for whatever reason. So Yoohyun would stay, too. 

Yerim is frowning, stabbing at her food. “I still think you should join Haeyeon, ahjussi.”

Yoojin offers up a half-hearted grin of reassurance. “Sorry, Yerim-ie. Things are just… pretty complicated with the dungeons, especially since there’s still so much we don’t know about them. And since Yoohyun and I think I can use my skill to raise mounts, I want to remain impartial. I might even extend globally once South Korea is taken care of… no matter where they are located, I know the dungeons will only keep getting more difficult. If hunters can use dungeon creatures to help clear dungeons, it will only help in the long run.”

“That’s true…” Yerim pouts, thinking about it. “I don’t know a lot about them either. But I’d still rather be in the same guild as you. Why wouldn’t you let me freelance, then I really could follow you anywhere!”

“You don’t need to follow me, Yerim-ie.” Yoojin laughs, and Yoohyun is relieved to see his hyung appearing more composed now. “I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”

“I know you don’t plan on it, but if Song Taewon lets those association jerks send you into dungeons-” Yerim protests.

Yoohyun cuts in, gripping his utensils hard, hair shadowing his eyes. “I won’t allow it. Haeyeon will offer additional assistance in any dungeon raids they want you to go on, hyung.”

Yerim nods in wild agreement. “Yes, yes! I’ll go with you, too!”

Yoojin doesn’t look so sure. He gives them a deadpan stare, but the way his eyes are twinkling is evidence that he doesn’t mind their insistence to accompany him. “Seriously, you two. However much I’d love to stick together as much as possible, we have to be realistic. We’re all S-ranks. There’s an inherent responsibility that comes with that title.”

“I don’t care.”

“I don’t care.”

Again, the two speak at the same time and glower at one another. Yoojin’s eyes crinkle in amusement. Peace meows and paws at Yoojin, begging for more attention. 

“Okay, well, I guess we can talk more about that later, too. After I’ve registered at the association tomorrow, and get all the details. How does that sound?” Yoojin prods, his eyes darkening at the thought.

Yoohyun notices, but merely grinds out a, “Fine.”

Yerim sticks out her bottom lip in a childish pout but nods in agreement. “Whatever. But I’d like to go with you tomorrow, too!”

Yoojin’s expression darkens even more, and he begins to worry at his bottom lip. “Um, I don’t know. Yoohyunie and Song Taewon-ssi are both coming already…”

An awkward silence follows.

“Why don’t you go wash up, hyung.” Yoohyun breaks the silence, shooting Bak Yerim a meaningful look. “Bak Yerim and I will take care of the dishes. She is actually assigned to a raid tomorrow, so she will not have the time to come with us. I can run through the details in the meantime, since she’s here.”

Yoojin blinks at his younger brother. “What? No, I can help with the dishes too.”

Yerim glances at Yoojin and nods as she figures out what Yoohyun was trying to do. “Really, ahjussi, it’s fine. I don’t need to go with, and I forgot about the raid, I guess. I was excited to see you. Boss man wants to talk business, anyway, so you won’t be missing anything.”

“If you’re sure.” Yoojin says, relenting. He keeps Peace in his arms as he leaves the table, giving the two younger S-ranks a stern look. “Please get along. I won’t take too long in the bathroom, okay?”

He’s met with Yerim waving him off, smiling innocently as she promises to behave. Yoohyun shoots his hyung a purposeful stare, and Yoojin relaxes. “Alright. I’ll be back shortly.”

When Yoojin leaves the room and the bathroom door clicks as it shuts, Han Yoohyun and Bak Yerim turn to one another. They gaze with piercing stares at one another’s faces, expressions set. Yoohyun is the first one to speak.

“We need to talk.”

“Yes, we do.” Yerim agrees, resting her chin on her hand and refusing to back down. Frost creeps around her and onto her chair. “Why can’t I go with you and ahjussi tomorrow? I wasn’t aware of being assigned a raid.”

“Hyung seems to be… stressed out about tomorrow. I don’t know why, as he hasn’t said anything about it, but the less attention drawn to him, the better. Remember how he reacted to the media when we exited the dungeon with him?” Yoohyun explains, voice cold.

Yerim’s expression tightened at the memory, her aura briefly flaring. Realization strikes. “Oh. So if I’m there, even more attention would be on him. And ahjussi doesn’t seem to like it very much.” She frowns. “I don’t like it, but fine. I’ll go on a raid. You better take good care of ahjussi, though, Han Yoohyun.” 

Yoohyun growls under his breath at her and the lack of honorifics. However, Bak Yerim threatening him for the sake of Han Yoojin appeases something inside of him, so he doesn’t lash out. He even smothers the flames that had been flickering on his palms. “Yoojin-hyung is my number one priority, rest assured, Bak Yerim.”

“And you seem to be his. Which is fine, I understand.” Yerim sighs, seeming upset about the fact, but accepting of it. There’s something vulnerable in her gaze, something that Yoohyun had recognized seeing within his own expression. “You really can’t keep ahjussi all to yourself, if that isn’t what he wants.”

“...I know that.” Yoohyun admits, voice flat, hands clenched into fists. 

He had seen the way Yoojin looked at both Bak Yerim and at Peace. He had long known that Han Yoojin viewed the world differently than Han Yoohyun. Han Yoojin cared, and he cared with his whole being. Yoohyun had always been the sole recipient of this care. It would not be easy for him to watch his older brother let others into his heart. But Han Yoohyun had done enough damage to his hyung. If it meant his happiness, Han Yoohyun would learn to accept that Han Yoojin deserved to be cared for by others aside from only Yoohyun himself. 

In fact, maybe it would really help his hyung to be safer and more protected in the coming days. Bak Yerim was a fellow S-rank, despite her young age. Their possessive behavior was well documented. Yoohyun hadn’t been able to keep his hyung safe on his own. Even that fire manticore cub seemed set on remaining protectively at Yoojin’s side.

“I realize I know very little about you. You lied to the association about your awakening, and it was to protect my brother. I can accept that, but I will not blindly allow you to hang around my hyung.” Yoohyun tells Bak Yerim, eyes glinting with a threat. “So prove to me that you’re worthy of staying by my brother’s side.”

“Well, the same goes for you, Boss man.” Yerim retorts, her tone frosty. “After meeting ahjussi, I tried to find out more about him, to see what I could do to return the favor of saving my life. I know you hurt him a lot when you left him like that. Do you even realize how much you hurt him? I could even see it!”

Yoohyun bites his cheek so hard that he can taste blood. His flames flicker back to life around him, wild and angry. “I know! I know. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to my hyung. But don’t you ever come at me like I did any of that just to hurt him. Everything I did was to keep hyung safe. You’ve only just become an S-rank, Bak Yerim. My guild and I have been protecting you. Don’t talk like you understand everything.” 

Yerim climbs to her feet, equally as angry. “Well, you need to prove it to me too! That you can stay by ahjussi’s side! I know he cares for you a lot, but I won’t stand for it if you hurt him again.”

Yoohyun’s aura flares, black flames surrounding his body entirely. Bak Yerim doesn’t back down, her teeth bared in anger. They both go to make a move, to attack, when they find their limbs bound to their sides with ropes made out of sparkling silver mana. Peace yowls as it appears and hops onto the counter to watch the proceedings. At the same time, Yoojin stalks into the room, his silver eyes glowing with power, a disappointed expression written clearly all over his face. With a flick of his fingers he pulls the two younger S-ranks to opposite ends of the dining area, not even having to approach or touch them, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. 

“That’s enough. I thought I told you two to behave.” Yoojin tsks in a very parental tone, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’d changed into night clothes, a damp towel hanging over his neck and shoulders, his hair dripping onto the fabric. He must have gotten out of the shower in a hurry. 

Both Yoohyun and Yerim slump into the mana ropes, angry expressions melting slowly into guilty ones. 

“I know you’re S-ranks, but geez, does everything have to be solved with fighting? I thought you two could handle having a civil conversation for five minutes. Han Yoohyun, Yerim is five years younger than you. You should be setting an example!” Yoojin chides, thoroughly disappointed. 

“...sorry, hyung.”

Yoohyun looks even more guilty at being lectured by his older brother. He doesn’t fight the bonds keeping him tied up, shooting Yoojin an apologetic, puppy eyed look. Yerim shoots her guild leader a triumphant smile, only to shrink back as she’s leveled with an equally disappointed gaze from Yoojin.

“And you, Bak Yerim. You’re not getting let off easy just because you’re younger. Han Yoohyun is your elder, and your guild leader. You should show him proper respect, too.” Yoojin tells her sternly, foot tapping in displeasure.

“Sorry, ahjussi.” Yerim mumbles, crossing her arms as the mana ropes disappear from both her and Han Yoohyun. She chances another look at Han Yoojin’s face, and then her eyes water a little bit. Her lips twitch. She looks torn between laughing and crying. 

Yoojin notices, and furrows his brows in concern. “Yerim, what’s wrong?”

“Just… you just…” The young girl struggles to put her feelings into words, and then her eyes well up. Yoojin looks panicked at the sight, and Yoohyun stares at Bak Yerim, uncomprehending. Yerim starts talking faster. “You really treat me like you treat your brother, and you just- um… you remind me of what it’s like to have a parent who really cares for you…” The tears spill over, and then suddenly Yerim is laughing a little hysterically, scrubbing at her eyes. “You really reminded me of my eomma, just now.”

Yoojin’s eyes are wide, and he doesn’t seem sure about what to do next. He makes an aborted step forward, extending a hand. “Oh, Yerim, I’m sorry. Don’t cry-” 

Yerim only bursts into louder tears, as if all of the tension she’d carried when mostly figuring things out on her own these last few months had boiled over. She must have had a hard time while Yoojin was gone, too.  

She hides her face in her hands, muffling her cries, as if embarrassed. Her voice is thick with tears. “I really missed you, ahjussi.”

Yoojin scratches at his nape, his face plastered with guilt and sorrow. He gazes searchingly at the sniffling teenager, something shifting in his eyes. “Aw, Yerim. You must have been really scared when you were trying to figure things out with your old guardians and your new rankings. Come here.” He offers, holding his arms out for a hug.

Yerim peeks between her fingers, eyes widening with delight as she realizes what Yoojin was offering. She surges forward into his hold, burying her face in his shoulder, where the damp towel is. Her voice is muffled by the fabric. “...it was really hard. I really wished you were here to help me.”

“Well, I’m here now. I’m so sorry I didn’t make it out sooner.” Yoojin rubs her back, letting the young girl melt into his hold. Even while he’s comforting Yerim, he meets Yoohyun’s smoldering gaze. His words are meant for his younger brother too. “I care a lot about you two. Both of you. So please, try to get along? For me? I want to spend all the time in the world with all of you. It won’t be pleasant if I can’t even leave you two alone together. How can you even work together like that? We’ll have to work on teamwork-”

Yoojin goes off on a tangent, centered on teamwork and getting along together and something about the golden rule. His voice fills the still air, and Yoohyun finds himself relaxing. Even if his hyung was holding Bak Yerim to comfort her, he was clearly still thinking of Yoohyun, too. It is reassuring that Yoojin would never let his little brother slip from his mind, even with another prospective ward present. Yoohyun is still overwhelmingly jealous and detests Bak Yerim’s desire to have his hyung’s attention, but he knows that Yoojin still considers Yoohyun to be a priority, too. 

…He’d consider getting along with Bak Yerim, for his hyung’s sake. But he does not throw away the decision that the two of them would have to fight to settle their differences. This would have to occur away from Han Yoojin’s presence, though, so it may not happen anytime soon. Han Yoohyun would thoroughly vet Bak Yerim to ensure she was worthy of staying by his hyung’s side another time. The way Bak Yerim had acted, Han Yoohyun had no doubt she’d be willing. 

So Yoohyun nods, as if chastised, as his hyung wraps up his lecture. He allows his hyung to comfort Bak Yerim and send her off with well wishes for tomorrow’s raid. He and his hyung end up doing the dishes together, and Yoohyun takes a quick shower before checking on his hyung a final time before bed. He looks in the guest room he’d told Yoojin was his, and his heart races when he finds no trace of his hyung or the fire manticore. Yoohyun steps quickly and quietly down the hall to his own room, his heartbeat calming when he spots the two fast asleep in Yoohyun’s bed. 

Yoohyun approaches, slowing his briefly panicked breathing. His hyung looks so much younger and softer when he sleeps, losing the tension that had tightened his muscles since his return. For all that Yoojin acted fine, he was struggling to readjust. Not only had he awakened, but he’d been stuck inside of countless dungeons, fighting for months. Things would seem overwhelming to anyone after awakening, let alone after what Yoojin had been though. And as an S-rank, nonetheless. 

So Yoohyun slips carefully under the covers, feeling settled as his hyung shifts closer to him even while asleep. Yoohyun and his brother press close, reassured by one another’s presence. Peace wakes up briefly, peering at Yoohyun with half-open eyes that glow in the dark, before yawning and curling back into Yoojin’s side. Yoohyun slowly, uncertainly, tangles the fingers of one hand in his hyung’s shirt like he had when he was young. He exhales when Yoojin doesn’t wake at the movement, relaxing even further. Yoohyun falls asleep like this, content, the three of them unaware of what tomorrow would bring, but ready to face it together. 

For now, Yoohyun had his big brother safe and asleep at his side, and that was enough.