"My bad. I will remember Wooyoung's energy too so I can avoid walking in on you guys again."
Changing his tone completely, Cheon Areum walked towards Inho for what he had really come for.
"Where's Hwan?"
"Hwan? He's probably out for the S-Class gates. He was selected for another team, not with me."
Only Hwan would have an unlimited supply of energy boosters as he can make them whenever he wants, but since he was not here... Cheon Areum knocked on the long meeting table and stared at Inho with a neutral expression.
"Give me all the energy boosters you have on you right now."
"...? Are you paying for them?"
Bewildered by the order-like request, Inho squarely got up from the chair, coming to stand with Jung Wooyoung, who was still reveling in his embarrassment of getting caught red-handed.
"What about if I will forget that I ever even walked in here on you both if you hand them over?"
Sitting on the table, Cheon Areum flashed a gentle smile at the couple, and Inho—who was familiar—wasn't affected by his behavior, but Jung Wooyoung, who hadn't encountered this side of Cheon Areum, became anxious. He looked at Inho, completely surprised by that statement. Glancing between Inho and Cheon Areum, he hurriedly spoke up.
"This is all because of you! I told you to not mess around at work. You know what? I'm done with you!"
Vexed, Jung Wooyoung directed his anger at Inho, who idiotically pointed to himself as if asking what he had done wrong. Jung Wooyoung walked out of the room and shouted his final words.
"I'm breaking up with you."
Slamming the door to cut off Inho's vision of him. Inho quietly retreated his gaze from the door to Cheon Areum.
"..."
"..."
They both stared at each other in silence.
Was this because of him?
"I was being really nice right now, aren't I? I even apologized. Not even Yoon Seoyul would have been this lenient in this situation."
Why is it that every attempt at trying to be kind ends up falling through somehow? He had been reading books with golden-hearted main characters for years now to gain some knowledge, but it just never worked out well for him. How else should he have reacted for it to not end up like this?
"You must've gotten dumped for your own reasons. Now give the energy boosters. I was going to pay you from the start."
Holding out his hand towards Inho, Cheon Areum demanded, but Inho just stared at him, barely blinking, as if he had lost his ability to speak. Cheon Areum reinstated his palm out in front of him to urge him. Still giving him side glances, Inho emptied his inventory of energy boosters and gave them to him as he stored them in his own inventory. The person after Hwan who would have the most energy boosters was definitely Inho. In the end, Cheon Areum had a total of fifty energy boosters. If need be, he could also take Yoon Seoyul's, so this much should be enough.
"I thought you were on maternity leave. What are you going to do with these?"
"These are just for safety measures. I'm going into the S+ Class gate. Want to come?"
Cheon Areum invited Inho with an open heart but was rejected immediately.
"I haven't gone crazy to endanger my life for more money yet. Maybe next time, if an S+ Class gate is even clearable... Has master given you permission to tag along? It could be dangerous for you to dive straight into a gate while being pregnant, and it's an S+ Class at that."
"It should be alright. I was starting to get bored with S-Class gates and staying at home anyway."
"Well, good luck... I will go and talk to Wooyoung..."
Trusting Cheon Areum to do exceptionally, Inho dragged himself out to go chase after Jung Wooyoung, who would probably be too far off to chase now. Unable to convey that message to Inho, he took out an energy bar to chew on as he made his way to Yoon Seoyul, passing by familiar faces.
His reputation at the guild was praiseworthy on the surface level, but there was also a subtle fear in everyone, and they would avoid him just like they would Yoon Seoyul. He couldn't be sure if it was because he had married their master or if they were genuinely just scared of him. There were a few who were unafraid of him though, which included this person. Cheon Areum smiled as he made eye contact with Joon.
"How have you been, Joon?"
Joon's face contorted visibly; his gaze also didn't betray him.
"I just can't handle seeing you here! Ugh... why can't you just stay far from my workplace?!"
Joon agonized, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face with his hands. Cheon Areum stood at his desk and pouted.
"It's been a while since I came here last. Shouldn't you be a little happier to see me?"
Wearing his weary expression, Joon shook his head at him, disagreeing instantly.
"Can you close your eyes?"
Despite hating on him openly, Joon was still his subordinate and listened to everything he had to say. Joon closed his eyes obediently in the next moment.
"Now you can't see me. Have a good life."
Cheon Areum concluded as he entered the office and yelled as loud as he could.
"Honey, I'm here!!"
Hearing him, Yoon Seoyul lifted his head to look at him while talking to someone on the phone. Cheon Areum cheerily went over to his husband to stick to him again.
"If that's all, we will be leaving for the gate first."
Ending his call, Yoon Seoyul pulled him into his lap on the chair and hugged him as he set aside the reports on the desk.
"Don't overexert yourself. It's not on all you. Everyone who has been selected for this gate is strong too."
"I won't if I don't have to. I will just be the backup if things go astray."