Soon, everything was ready. Ahn Ki-Mo was still busy arranging the place, so everyone took their seats, except for him.
Kim Hyun-Sung sat on my left, looking awkward as if he still couldn't get used to seeing the guild members. It made sense. It had been a while since the last gathering, after all.
It was a strange yet familiar sight that made me feel nostalgic. Seeing everyone seated around me and Hyun-Sung made it clear to me that everyone had gathered once more.
“...”
Of course, I wasn’t the only one who felt that everything fit perfectly. In fact, the guild members seemed to be feeling even more at ease than I was.
It wasn’t exactly an appropriate example, but it was like a father and mother of one household sitting together again after a long time.
As the guild grew and the work diversified, everyone worked solo more often than not.
Fortunately, the authority and power in the Blue Guild were split between the guild master and sub guild master, so...
‘So this setup feels stable.’
Sometimes, Kim Hyun-Sung would look like an incompetent head of the household. He often started things without a plan and made unreasonable demands.
Whenever there was trouble, however, he was always the most reliable one.
In a continent where humans had nothing else to rely on, humanity formed groups to have a fence—a shelter. The members of Blue Guild clearly felt that the fence had become even stronger now that Hyun-Sung and I were together.
Kim Ye-Ri looked particularly convinced of that.
‘Her energy's noticeably higher than usual.’
She was trying to keep a straight face, but a small smile tugged at her lips. She even hummed a tune without realizing it, and her voice was a bit louder than normal.
‘The kid is obviously excited.’
Of course, she would deny it if I said so.
“The meat, hurry. The meat. The meat!” Kim Ye-Ri demanded.
“Ah, it’s almost done. Hold on!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.
“Mister Deok-gu, hurry,” Kim Ye-Ri said.
“Good meat needs time and patience—”
“Hurry up with the meat!” Kim Ye-Ri interrupted him.
‘She probably has no idea what she’s doing.’
If we were to film that scene and show it to her later, she would definitely blush in embarrassment. The image of Kim Ye-Ri tapping the table with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other made her appear not so mature at all, even though she was trying to look a little more mature.
“How about starting with this first?” Ahn Ki-Mo said. He had quietly taken his seat and was ladling out some stew for Kim Ye-Ri, who was stuffing her cheeks with lots of food.
“Alright, let’s fill up the glasses first! For you, hyung-nim, a non-alcoholic drink...” Park Deok-Gu chimed in.
“And for our Hyun-Sung bro...” Park Deok-Gu paused.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
‘Yeah. You shouldn’t be drinking anyway.’
“Let me pour you a drink, Miss Jung Ha-Yan,” Han Sora offered.
“Ah... sure. Thanks, Sora,” Jung Ha-Yan said.
“I’ll pass on the alcohol, too,” Sun Hee-Young declined.
“Well, even if Hyun-Sung won’t drink... just have one glass, Hee-Young noonim. And you too, Hye-Jin noonim, have one,” Park Deok-Gu offered.
“...”
“And everyone, hold on! On a day like this, shouldn’t the guild master say a few words first? Maybe give a speech or something...” Park Deok-Gu suggested.
‘Why would you say that? You’re just making him feel nervous.’
Kim Hyun-Sung looked a bit flustered, but it didn’t seem like he intended to dodge it.
After raising his glass slightly, he said, “Calling it a grand speech would be a bit much, so I’ll just say a few words. Just...”
“...”
“...”
“It hasn’t been that long... but I just want to say that I’m really happy to see everyone again. Thank you all very much for coming here,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
“Alright, alright, let’s toast already! Cheers!” Park Deok-Gu shouted.
‘Cheers for what, you idiot.’
“To Hyun-Sung bro’s recovery and to the Blue Guild!” Park Deok-Gu added.
“C-cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Everyone raised their glasses, and with that, the small party began.
It wasn’t exactly the kind of party Sun Hee-Young had planned, but still...
“Another round over here, please!”
“Ah, that’s the stuff...”
“Come on, everyone, hurry up! Meat’s here! Come get your meat! The long-awaited meat has arrived! Meat!” Park Deok-Gu announced.
‘I think he wanted something a bit quieter and more formal.’
The excited bunch before me couldn’t be further from that.
There was a reason no one had ever invited Park Deok-Gu to tea parties or formal events. The guy was holding a massive piece of meat with his hands, devouring it like a beast. It made no sense why there were even utensils on the table, as he wasn’t using them at all.
He tore a piece of bread apart and used it to scoop up some soup. As if that wasn’t enough, he kept gulping down cheap rum with one hand.
Why he ignored the expensive liquor for that stuff was beyond me. Sun Hee-Young frowned slightly at the sight, but she didn’t feel the need to stop him.
And that was understandable...
‘They all look like they’re having fun, after all.’
Colonel Smith usually preferred to keep things formal. Unfortunately, Park Deok-Gu finally approached him.
“Come on, have some rum! Drink up!” Park Deok-Gu said to him.
Park Deok-Gu filled Colonel Smith’s empty glass to the brim with rum. In fact, he poured so much that it overflowed, making a mess of the colonel’s spotless table.
‘Wow. He must absolutely hate that.’
Smith’s brow twitched in irritation. Given the situation, it was no surprise that the carefully arranged dinner party had turned into something that resembled a noisy tavern.
Even Shiro joined in, claiming a spot at the table, and Ahn Ki-Mo seemed to be enjoying himself just as much as Park Deok-Gu.
Even Elena, who usually didn’t fit in with this kind of atmosphere, was laughing and talking louder than usual.
Cheerful laughter echoed from all directions.
“Hahahahaha!”
“Heh... hehe...”
My eyes wandered over the group, and I saw them exchanging stories.
“Guild Master, do you remember? When we went on that expedition.”
“Yes, of course,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.
“Even now, just thinking about that time makes my stomach ache.”
They shared some big and small memories with each other.
Of course, there was also plenty of new gossip.
“Come to think of it, Sub Guild Master, about Belier...”
“Hmm?”
“She’s always hanging around the AV room these days.”
There were also some updates about the hardworking rookies.
“Hic... So, what Chang-Ryeol oppa said back then was—”
“Oh dear, what did he say?”
“I’ve already given my soul to you. Whenever you’re struggling, you can always lean on me.”
‘What kind of ridiculous line is that? Did he make a pact with a demon or something?’
“Aww... how romantic.”
“That’s not all. When we had our first kiss...”
‘So what did he say then?’
“F-first kiss...”
“'Whenever I stand in front of you, why does my heart pound like this? Could it be... that you can hear it, too?'"
“And then?! And then?!”
“I said I could hear it. Because I really could hear it. Then, Chang-Ryeol oppa said...”
“What did he say?! What did he say?!”
“‘As an assassin... I'm not qualified.’ Then, he grabbed my face and...”
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“Uwaaaaaaaah!”
‘Lee Chang-Ryeol, you idiot! I think he's been watching too many old dramas.’
“...”
“...”
“How have you been lately, Miss Hye-Jin?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean your love life.”
“Ah, I was curious about that too, Miss Jo Hye-Jin. After my brother, have you...” Elena joined in.
“I-I’ve been doing alright in my own way. I can’t go into the details, but if I told you everything about my love life, you’d probably be shocked. I'm refined and composed in the guild, but outside, I can be quite impulsive... Sometimes I even end up having tea with random people... A-anyway, my love life is full of passion,” Jo Hye-Jin answered.
‘What on earth is she even talking about now...?’
“...”
“I’ll stop there,” Jo Hye-Jin added.
I ended up listening to the guild members’ love stories.
Lee Chang-Ryeol had already fled far away, probably too embarrassed. After all, it had just been revealed that he had uttered such ridiculous lines. He was now sitting alone, trying to regain his composure in the distance.
However, I could practically hear his panicked heartbeat from here.
Perhaps he really wasn't qualified to be an assassin. Of course, I wasn’t exactly having an easy time either. Between keeping up with the drunken Ha-Yan and trying to restrain that rampaging pig, it was pure chaos.
“Hic... M-my oppa... I wish you’d never grow up,” Jung Ha-Yan stuttered.
“Well, you’re already cute enough as you are, but still, the old you had more charisma. Of course, I also wish you’d never grow up, but...” Park Deok-Gu paused.
“S-sometimes I just want to keep you at home, oppa. You’re too cute... h-hehe... heehee... heeheehee...” Jung Ha-Yan giggled.
‘Don’t say creepy things like that.’
Meanwhile, Kim Hyun-Sung seemed like he wanted to talk to me about something, but with so many people around, it wasn’t exactly easy to find a quiet moment.
“Guild Master!”
“Guild Master, um—”
“Hyun-Sung bro!”
The atmosphere was so lively as well.
The restless guy was smiling, but his mind was clearly somewhere else.
Eventually, a quieter mood descended, as some of those guys became completely drunk. The mood was finally quiet enough for a real conversation.
Kim Hyun-Sung smiled faintly. The loudest pig in the room was deep in a heart-to-heart talk with Hwang Jung-Yeon. Sensing that the timing was right, Hyun-Sung glanced around, stood up, and then asked, “Do you mind moving somewhere else... for a bit?”
It was obvious that he wanted some private time to talk, so of course, I nodded. The guild members didn’t try to stop him, either. Perhaps they were a little uneasy, but they probably figured it was fine.
After all, Kim Hyun-Sung looked perfectly normal right now.
“Shall we?” I said.
He gestured toward the bonfire area that Ahn Ki-Mo had put so much effort into setting up. He laid his coat over an uncomfortable-looking log, as if inviting me to sit on it, so I took the spot immediately.
I felt he planned to sit there himself, but as the saying went, "the early bird gets the worm."
“...”
“...”
The crackling of the bonfire vanquished the silence, but not a word came from Kim Hyun-Sung. After dragging me all the way out here, the guy suddenly went mute.
"Cat got his tongue" was the perfect description for him right now. He definitely had something to say, but he just couldn’t figure out how to start.
In the end, I had no choice but to break the silence first, saying, “I’m suddenly reminded of the old days.”
“...”
“Hm? The old days...” Kim Hyun-Sung mumbled.
‘I don’t know either, you idiot. It’s not like this is the first time we sat around a campfire together...’
“Ah... you mean that time,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.
Fortunately, it seemed that he somehow understood.
“Yes, that time,” I said.
“Actually, I was thinking the same thing. Sitting together on a log like this... and the scenery, too...I didn’t think you’d still remember. I thought I was the only one who still remembers it,” Kim Hyun-Sung continued.
‘I don’t, you idiot. I don’t remember a damn thing.’
Well, it was probably fine as long as Kim Hyun-Sung was happy. The way he smiled softly while reminiscing made me feel convinced that he was lost in the old memories.
Thanks to the nostalgia buff, the air between us became more relaxed. He even let out a quiet chuckle or two. Whatever memory he recalled, it had to have been a good one.
His mood was so bright it was contagious, and even I couldn’t help but feel a little lighter.
Then, he nodded slightly and looked at me with a serious face.
“Um... Doc—no... Mr. Ki-Young.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“What?” I asked.
“...”
“Doc... what?” I asked again.
“...”
“...”
“I-I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung stuttered.
“...”
“I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung repeated.