CHAPTER 208: CUSTODIAN

"NOONA, someone is standing behind the door for quite some time now."

Wonhee looked over her shoulder to look at Ahyeon. "Is it an Awakened Person?"

Ahyeon shook his head. "It’s a Civilian."

"Oh, it must be my noona," Lee Seojin said awkwardly while holding his phone. "She said she came to pick me up while our Eomma went to check on Hyung’s condition."

Ah, right.

[Of course, their family would be summoned here after what happened between Seojin and Seodam-ssi.]

"I’m sorry, Noona," Seojin said guiltily. "I didn’t mean to put you in an akward situation."

"It’s alright, Jin-ah," Wonhee said, assuring Seojin with a smile. "None of this is your fault. And I’ll be fine. I’ve already cut Seorin-ssi off my life, so I won’t be affected by her presence."

Seojin looked relieved by what she said.

"Let’s go, Jin-ah," Wonhee said. "Your family must be worried about you."

"Okay, Noona."

And when they got out of the room, Wonhee confirmed that Lee Seojin was right.

Lee Seorin was really waiting outside.

[Seeing Seorin-ssi only reminds me of the time her ex-fiancé tried to blackmail me.]

Since Wonhee had already said her goodbye to Lee Seojin, she was planning to leave quietly with Ahyeon.

However...

"Chu Wonhee."

It was Lee Seorin.

Wonhee stopped walking because, despite everything, Lee Seorin was still older than her. As a Korean, age hierarchy was something she couldn’t easily ignore. Moreover, she was still a celebrity with an image to maintain.

"Can we please talk?" Lee Seorin asked politely. "I only need five minutes."

Five minutes?

[That’s feasible then.]

Wonhee turned around and faced Lee Seorin with a solemn look on her face. "I can only spare you five minutes, so please get straight to the point, Seorin-ssi."

***

"HERE– WEAR this."

Yejun caught the watch that Yeon Soobin threw at him.

It was a stylish watch— except it wasn’t a normal watch, of course. The screen where you were supposed to look at the time showed only what seemed like little black clouds trapped inside a little sphere.

"Hyung, what kind of an item is this?"

"It’s a device that will let you know if Lee Seodam’s miasma leaks out. Oozing out miasma is the first sign that the Virus is trying to take over his body," Soobin explained while getting up from his desk. "I made it using the miasma that Semi Noona gathered before."

Yejun knitted his eyebrows. "Then does it mean the fake carnivore have the same item?"

"Of course. That’s how the signal gets sent to your device."

"But I don’t wanna have the same item as that prick, Hyung."

"Suck it up, kid," Soobin said casually. "Let’s go."

"Hyung, you’re so mean," Yejun complained while following Soobin like a duckling. "I can’t believe I got a matching item with Wonhee’s ex-boyfriend before I got one with her!"

***

"I HEARD from Kim Minhyuk that his family lost the Sowoon Group."

The Sowoon Group.

Ah.

Wonhee belatedly realized that the Sowoon Group was the small company that Lee Seorin’s ex-fiancé owned.

[Kim Minhyuk tried to blackmail me because he wanted his restaurant in my hotel.]

"The Sowoon Group is owned by Kim Minhyuk’s family," Lee Seorin reminded her when she noticed that Wonhee almost didn’t remember what Sowoon Group was. "They’re a medium-sized company that owns several famous restaurants in the country."

’Medium-sized?’

Well, maybe via textbook definition, Sowoon Group was considered a medium-sized company.

However, for someone like Wonhee, it was just a small company.

"But, just recently, the company was absorbed by SC Foods," Seorin said awkwardly. "Kim Minhyuk and his mother were pushed out. They no longer have control over the company that they built."

"Seorin-ssi, I remember telling you to get straight to the point."

"Kim Minhyuk asked me to help him set up a meeting with you," Seorin said, still looking awkward. "Or else he’ll make me pay back all the money and luxury items that he gave me when we were still together."

Ah.

"I’m sorry, but I have no time to spare for a person I don’t care about."

"Chu Wonhee—"

"Seorin-ssi, I don’t have a reason to do you a favor. Why would I do that when you almost screwed me over when you posted that video online? The one where you made it look like I pushed your mother."

Seorin’s face turned red as if she was embarrassed.

"I kept your miscarriage a secret and I even helped you organize your wedding. Because of the things I did to support Seorin-ssi’s delusion, Kim Minhyuk got the chance to blackmail me. And now you want me to meet that person just because you can’t pay what you owe him?"

"..."

"But if Kim Minhyuk-ssi threatens you again, then ask for either Seodam-ssi or Seojin’s help," Wonhee said. She wanted to be cold, but she still felt a little bad for Lee Seorin. At the end of the day, she wasn’t a psycho who enjoyed seeing or making other people suffer. "Your brothers are both high-ranking Hunters supported by APA. Don’t let the son of a small company threaten you. In the new normal, whether you find it fair or not, the Awakened People rule the world. You just have to use your brothers’ influence wisely."

Lee Seorin frowned, but it looked like she had nothing more to say.

Wonhee was about to leave when...

"I heard you’re the one in charge of treating Seodam’s illness."

Hmm?

[She changed the topic?]

"Regardless of what you feel towards me, I hope you don’t take it out on Seodam," Seorin said. It sounded like she was genuinely concerned for her brother. "Seodam needs your help, Chu Wonhee. He hasn’t been himself these days."

"Don’t worry, Seorin-ssi," Wonhee said while walking away. "I’m a professional Guide."

***

[TSK.]

Yejun inwardly clicked his tongue after seeing the Lee Seodam wearing the same watch as he was.

[It’s really a matching item.]

"Hunter Lee Seodam, have you said goodbye to your family?" Yeon Soobin asked. "You didn’t tell them anything weird, did you?"

"No, sir," Lee Seodam answered politely. "I told my family what you asked me to say."

"Good," Soobin said, and then he pointed at Yejun. "Since you’re back to normal and you’ve received Advanced Treatment from your Guide, we won’t lock you up for now. And, from this day forward, the Winter Guild will be in charge of your surveillance. To be precise, Hwang Yejun is your custodian."

Lee Seodam then turned to Yejun with a nervous look on his face.

[Heh~]

Yejun smiled and raised his arm to show Lee Seodam his watch. "No funny business under my watch, fake carnivore."

***

Please ADD MY LIFE AS THE FIRST S-CLASS GUIDE to your LIBRARY to be notified when an update is posted. Thank you! :