Baek Iseul tensed. He instinctively knew that he was an alpha. He made sure to have his guard up, even though he found him very attractive.
The tall man tilted his head in amusement, then flicked to worry. "Did you get checked by a nurse yet?"
Iseul hesitated and nervously shook his head. "I just woke up," Iseul quietly said. The man simply nodded and gestured, hand outside the door, waving down a nurse on standby. She wasted no time and rushed in, the man walking in beside her and sitting in a visitor's chair.
Iseul held out his arm as the nurse checked his IV and other vitals. "Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm alright, just a headache." She smiled faintly and handed him pain killers and water. "You passed out from mana deprivation," she explained while changing his IV. Iseul took took the medicine and water, feeling better after being parched.
It was understandable, considering the sheer amount he used while fighting completely alone. The reason he survived was likely due to the legendary-ranked weapon, which amplified his abilities. Speaking of which, where is his weapon?
"Your wounds are minor, just some cuts, bruises, and scrapes. Nothing major," she explained further. Iseul nodded again and discreetly glanced to the side where the man silently sat.
He was quiet and just observed the situation. Iseul guessed that he was here to interview him on the gate situation. "Your discharge date is set for tomorrow," the nurse kindly said. Iseul thanked her as she went to exit, leaving the two of them alone.
He finally took the time to inspect the man, finding something oddly familiar about him. That's when it suddenly clicked. This wasn't just some ordinary guy; this man fitted perfectly into position with one of the supporting characters in the novel. He also remembered seeing some images of Kim Daeho in the media.
Kim Daeho, Kim Duri's older brother, the leader of South Korea's first-ranked guild and the first-ranked S-Rank in the whole country.
Baek Iseul let out a bated breath. He was conducting the gate interview in person?
What on Earth was he doing here?
This made him nervous. Interviews are mostly done by certain members of the Hunters' Association.
Well, he was a special case.
He was incredibly handsome, and in the book, they described him as someone equal to a fox. Iseul can wholly see why. He had slightly upturned eyes that carried a glint of mischief as he watched him. This made Iseul shudder lightly.
There was also the way he rested his chin in his palm and tapped his chin with his finger. It was almost... alluring.
"So," he began. "You probably have an idea as to why I'm here, right?"
Iseul's sweaty palms rested beside him on the bed. "Yes. It's... for the interview about what happened in the dungeon, right?"
Kim Daeho's arms dropped and folded over his chest. "You're a sharp one, aren't you?" Daeho's eyes barely squinted at him. "You came out of an S-Rank gate almost unharmed. Your only issues were mana deprivation and some cuts. Care to explain?" The moment Kim Daeho's eye glinted yellow, he knew he had to tell the truth.
Lying to Kim Daeho would be proven useless, considering he had a skill called "The Eye of Truth." It was exactly what it sounded like.
The Eye of Truth, once activated, would determine whether or not the person in question was telling the truth. It was one of Kim Daeho's widely known abilities.
Should he mince some of the events? But what if they find out the truth later? What about Nari? And... what if they interviewed her?
Baek Iseul clenched the sheets. What could even gain by doing that, though? What does he have to lose? It's... not like they'd do anything horrible, right? Kim Daeho wasn't that kind of person.
Taking the hunter's exam is non-negotiable, obviously, given the situation. And once they see his skills and rank, he'll officially become the world's first omegan S-Rank.
He's just worried about compromising Nari's safety. He's sure he's already on the news. Once the world finds out about his rank, that'll only put more targets on his back. More people who'd use Nari against him to do things. And in this world... he's an omega.
Which, yeah, don't get him wrong, in the other world, he would've loved.
But now, when it's actually become a reality?
Becoming an official S-Rank means more protection, and no one will assault him—or, at least, very directly.
Well...
He bit his lip.
Even if he could hide his rank, false ranking is a crime punishable by jail time. The outcome is inevitable. There's no need to lie. He'll just have to protect Baek Nari even more than he did before.
He met Kim Daeho's eyes, filled with determination. "I'll tell you what happened."
And so, he did.
__
Kim Daeho walked out of the hospital room, feeling very satisfied. He'd just met the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, and they most likely have a new S-Rank on their hands.
As he walked down the hall, he was met by his right-hand man, Yoon Minsu. "Minsu!" he called cheerfully.
"Yes, guild leader?" he responded a little worried about the happiness in his voice. "Is my meeting with the leader of the Lunar guild scheduled?" Yoon Minsu nodded. "Great, and the hunter exam?"
Yoon Minsu nodded again. "It's set for tomorrow, right after Baek Iseul's discharge." Daeho hummed as they walked closer to the elevators.
Yoon Minsu looked over warily, a little concerned. "If I may, guild master... what was your reason for visiting in person? You've never done that before and there was need for you to do that."
Kim Daeho chuckled loudly, his smile captivating as ever. "I just found someone, very, very interesting. Possibly the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on."
Minsu smiled awkwardly, feeling a little scared. Before the conversation could go any further, he moved forward and tried to push the elevator button. Before he could, the elevator opened with a loud ding.
Out came the cutest 10-year-old with long, silky, black hair and red-brown eyes. Behind her were two other familiar faces—a girl with short, dark hair and her mom, who had long, black hair.
"Oh! Mrs. Park!" Minsu greeted. Jiwon stepped out and bowed. "Ah, hunters! Thank you so much." Daeho smiled politely.
"No worries, it's our job," Yoon Minsu responded smoothly with a bow of his own. "Besides," Daeho continued for him. "It wasn't even us who cleared the gate," he laughed.
Jiwon chortled politely.
"Where's Oppa!" the girl who looked like a smaller version of Baek Iseul demanded. "Nari-ya. That's not very polite," Park Jiwon scolded. She huffed and crossed her arms. Kim Daeho was amused.
Nari walked up to him and tugged his arm. "Hey, fox Ahjussi." Kim Daeho was stunned as he looked down at her. Park Jiwon sighed into her hands, filled with embarrassment.
Did she just call me... "Fox Ahjussi?"
"You heard me right," Nari spoke, almost as if reading his mind.
"Show me where my Oppa is. Now."