“Excuse me, I need to step away for a moment.”

“What?”

“Oh, Jurim—”

Yoo Suyeon and Chairman Nam both looked startled as they watched Jurim abruptly rise from his seat. Ignoring their questioning gazes, Jurim quickly approached the woman nearby.

“......!”

The woman’s eyes trembled sharply upon seeing Jurim.

“I’m sorry, but this concerns my daughter.”

Without further explanation, Jurim firmly grasped her arm and guided her onto the terrace.

“You’re a valuable informant; I’d rather not get rough, so let’s keep this simple.”

Chuen, an informant who dealt with souls.

Due to her extremely rare unique skill, she’d fled from her homeland to Korea’s shadows, escaping those who sought to abuse her abilities. Her case exemplified exactly why hunters rarely fully revealed their skills.

“It would be troublesome if I rummaged through your mind and you ended up unusable, right?”

His casual tone made the threat all the more chilling.

Crossing his arms, Jurim stared down at Chuen.

“So tell me clearly, who is this dead person?”

Chuen nervously wetted her lips.

Ever since realizing the soul Jurim sought to find, she’d deliberately avoided his calls.

Yet here they were face-to-face.

She shook her head slightly.

“I don’t know either.”

Before Jurim could respond with irritation, Chuen hurriedly continued.

“It’s sealed behind a forbidden phrase. The soul’s negative emotions aren’t proportional to its positive abilities. The lingering regret is simply too immense; it surpasses my skill’s limits.”

Jurim raised a hand, stopping her mid-explanation.

“Wait, can you simplify that?”

“...?”

Chuen stared blankly.

“It’s impossible to make it simpler.”

Jurim clicked his tongue softly. It felt like talking to a foreign fortune teller.

This is why foreigners are...

The faces of two foreigners who struggled with Korean briefly flashed through his mind.

Then, an image of a certain Korean child whose speech was equally incomprehensible appeared.

Quickly dismissing these fleeting thoughts about his acquaintances, Jurim refocused.

“Simply put, your abilities aren’t enough to find out who it is?”

“Yes.”

Not unless her skills were somehow amplified.

“Fine. But from now on, stop ignoring my calls.”

Chuen nodded meekly.

Jurim looked down at her and quietly added,

“You may go now. Someone’s waiting for you.”

She scurried away instantly. As soon as Chuen vanished, another figure emerged from the shadows.

“Father.”

On Suhyeong sighed deeply, watching Chuen disappear into the distance.

“You shouldn’t treat a lady like that.”

“She’s just a business associate.”

“I see...”

Suhyeong responded weakly.

In truth, he had secretly been observing Jurim from a corner of the restaurant, worried his son might cause trouble. But when Jurim abruptly stood and dragged a woman outside—

I thought he’d finally shown interest in someone.

Yet upon following him, Suhyeong found not romance, but threats.

“Please tell Chairman Nam I have no interest in meeting women.”

The culprit spoke shamelessly.

“...Since you left so abruptly, it might quiet down for a while.”

“Good.”

Jurim smiled faintly as Suhyeong stepped closer.

“Chairman Nam must be worried. Both he and I are old-fashioned. We believe an unmarried person should eventually start a family...”

Jurim nodded as though understanding, but remained firm.

“A family, huh... Honestly, I don’t want more. If Guru ever loved her mother more than me, I’d probably get jealous.”

Even now, he worried constantly about losing his place as father to her biological parents. He wasn’t keen on adding another competitor.

“Besides, she only recently started calling me Dad.”

Jurim spoke curtly.

“Right now, it’s enough just keeping Guru’s grandfather in check.”

Hearing this, Suhyeong’s lips curled slightly.

“Yes, it’d make sense Guru would prefer a grandfather who buys her houses over a useless father. Your worries are understandable.”

“...?”

“Oh, speaking of, I’ve picked out some land recently. This will also go under Guru’s name—”

“Stop trying to win her over with money. She won’t understand yet.”

“She’ll surely appreciate it once she grows older...”

Suhyeong paused regretfully, then suddenly asked,

“Jurim, do you perhaps think the same way as Ijo?”

At his brother’s name, Jurim smiled faintly.

His older brother had endured constant pressure from Chairman Nam to meet ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) prospective partners. But Ijo had stubbornly resisted, insisting he was waiting for a fated love.

“No, I’m not quite like that...”

Jurim laughed softly, recalling Ijo’s dignified stubbornness.

His brother often criticized him, claiming it was wrong to meet people carelessly without feelings. “What will you do when you meet true love after such a history?” he used to tease.

Thump.

Suddenly, Jurim’s heart pounded loudly.

“Please...”

Why had his brother’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears?

What did you mean by that?

Until now, he hadn’t thought deeply about it.

He’d simply assumed Ijo meant he should take care of everything after his death.

Establishing the guild, quietly following government requests—he’d believed it was all Ijo’s final wish.

But...

His head began throbbing.

As Jurim pressed a hand to his temple, his vision abruptly filled with a snowfield.

“...?!”

Jurim swiftly turned around.

The one who’d spontaneously summoned the snowy landscape was the master of the 99th floor.

Why now?

This being, seemingly just a part of nature itself—

For the first time, the master of the 99th floor spoke to Jurim directly.

[Guru.]

***

Guru held tightly onto her backpack straps, looking up gloomily.

Did all boys this age fight constantly?

“Who asked you to come here anyway?”

“Ha! If I’d known you’d act like this, I wouldn’t have come!”

Inside the staff bathroom, Guru gazed up at Serhi and Gidan, who were resuming their quarrel.

Maybe Daddy was right...

Earlier, when facing the bad man, it seemed like they’d briefly gotten along.

Yet as soon as the man left, they’d relocated just to resume their argument.

“You think I can’t do anything without you?”

Guru clenched her tiny fists.

“Oh, like you were doing so well back there!”

She couldn’t just watch anymore.

“Yeah, if you hadn’t interfered—!”

Guru had had enough!

“Shtop!”

Guru pushed herself between them.

With her eyebrows furrowed fiercely, she glanced between the two boys.

“Shtop fighting!”

At the sight of Guru’s angry, tiny shoulders, Serhi and Gidan both fell silent.

With her cheeks flushed, Guru pointed firmly at Gidan first.

“Dani oppaw, shtop teasing Serhi oppaw!”

“Me?!”

“Yeah! You shouwn’t tease youw fwiends. Dat’s bad!”

“...!”

Gidan’s mouth dropped open.

Hands on her hips, Guru spoke sternly, like a kindergarten teacher.

“Apowogize, wight now!”

“...But I—”

Guru tugged Gidan’s sleeve insistently.

“If Dani oppaw teases, Serhi oppaw gets sad.”

Gidan groaned softly and rubbed his face in frustration.

Seeing this, Serhi narrowed his eyes.

“Wait, I don’t even want an apology—”

“...Fine. Sorry.”

“......”

Serhi’s expression twisted awkwardly.

Why is he suddenly apologizing now?

This unexpected mood was even harder to endure.

Was this what Koreans called cringeworthy?

He felt an indescribable mix of embarrassment and melting warmth.

Guru gently tugged Serhi’s sleeve this time.

“Gwuu an’ Dani oppaw came becauwse we wewe wowwied about you, Serhi oppaw.”

Serhi bit his lip lightly and replied bluntly,

“You didn’t need to.”

“So... you don’t wike Gwuu an’ Dani oppaw?”

Serhi quickly blurted out,

“It’s not like that!”

“You know... Gwuu goesh to kindewgawten—”

“I know! Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Teachew says we gotta be honest. If we dun say it, nobawdy can know.”