The vase that Lin Ji-Young bought for him never stopped receiving new fresh flowers. It happens every morning without a miss.
Today, guild master Park Do Hyun sent him a bouquet of peach carnations and salmon colored tulips. It was such a beautiful and eye-catching arrangement, the visitors couldn't help but take a second glance.
Yesterday, they were a combination of yellow and white lilies, balanced with eucalyptus leaves. The other day, they were pink Ecuadorian roses paired with pink paper roses, a bit of greens and white gypsophilas.
It made him look forward to what flowers the Legion's guild master will be sending tomorrow.
Lin Young-Jae appreciated such a kind and sweet gesture from his hyung. But he couldn't help but think that sending flowers everyday might be a bit too suggestive. But then again, according to the book, Park Do Hyun is more on being too powerful rather than empowering his EQ so this must be what he thought of— or what others suggested as a gesture of care towards a sick person he's trying to build a work relationship with.
But whatever it is, Lin Young-Jae was happy to receive flowers while still alive and not when he's dead. This flattery is working so well that he felt like he made a positive connection to another one of the main protagonists.
He liked them very much he took the petals and flattened them on the books to preserve such memories. After all, it was given by the strongest man alive.
He was thinking about its future value once they found out that it was ordered, carried and delivered by none other than the so famous, ultra powerful Park Do Hyun in the flesh.
So these days, his social media is not only for Lin Ji-Young's fans, pastry fans, haters, and passer-bys. But also fans of flowers and flower arrangements.
But Lin Ji-Young wasn't thrilled by this.
Giving flowers? On top of that, the buried topic between her baby brother and that guy about a kiss while having their hands entwined ambiguously like that?
Just thinking about it, Lin Ji-Young's fist started getting coated by ice. If only Aegis is safe for Young-Jae, she wouldn't even bother accepting that damn offer.
She could only sigh, break the ice that formed in her fist and massaged the bridge of her nose. Looking at her brother one last time in the room, waving at her with good luck and goodbye while holding yesterday's yellow and white lilies that he's planning to send somewhere for resin preservation to make a keychain with it. He told her that he planned to gift the preserved flowers to the people he considers as 'friends' which includes Lee Seok Jin, Park Do Hyun and Shin In Soo. Of course, for her too. But... Is my little brother such a loner that he considered those idiots as his friends?
She hesitated, but her communicator attached to her wrist was buzzing so she had no choice but to check it out for a moment, reading the massage, she turned and left to join the guild meeting.
She walked into the corridor being greeted by several doctors and awakened. Her icy glare remained in her blue eyes as she left the hospital and crossed to the guild building. She took the elevator towards the conference hall finally reaching the destination.
The room was filled with guild executives, the guild master and the vice, the hospital director, and five other S-class hunters like her.
In fact, all the guild around the world began their own meeting due to a rising crisis in the world. As she sat in her own chair, the time finally began for the meeting to start.
From the big led screen, a map was shown and then shifted to a few slides slowly.
There showed a dungeon gate in the sea. Small, yet there is something ominous just by looking at it. As an S-ranked huntress, she had strong sense of danger just by a single glance towards this small portal.
"A great dungeon appeared near the First Pacific. Based on reported accounts, it devoured a lot of ship as soon as it opened." Shin In Soo started.
First Pacific may sound like a harmless name once heard for the first time. But the truth is, First Pacific was the first dungeon that grew seven years ago in the center of the Pacific ocean. The first tragedy of the era.
Because the great dungeon is located in the First Pacific, everyone felt that this matter is of more urgency than anything else. Because there is a possibility of mergence between the two and something tragic might happen again.
"Guilds all around the world are preparing to gather volunteers to enter the dungeon and close it." The vice guild leader Kim Sora added to inform. A projector slide displayed behind her, showing the images taken of both the great dungeon and the First Pacific.
The distance is indeed just a few kilometers away from one another.
No one knows what will happen if dungeon merges, but after experiencing the phenomenon for seven years, they wouldn't want to know.
In fact, all they wanted to do now is stop it as much as they could.
"Now, Korean guilds will also put this in public and ask for volunteers from awakened ones while the investigation in the dungeon is ongoing." Sora added.
"But suddenly publicizing such a big thing, won't the citizens starts to panic if they find out?" One of the executive ask. He was tapping the tablet in his hand with a skeptic look. "And since it's still in the state for observation, we wouldn't know if this great dungeon is indeed one or not. We shouldn't cause such a scene."
"The people will eventually find out about this once the international media publish it in the hunter websites." Shin In Soo spoke seriously. "The earlier we address this matter, the more manpower we can get. After all, this might be the third appearance of a great dungeon. We don't want to be unprepared just like the previous ones. So whether this is mere propaganda, we all decided to think for the worse for the sake of the future."
"We are betting for a well prepared future. Even if it's not a great dungeon, this will also be a good time to find hidden gems."
The man sneered in a way that it was both friendly yet mocking. "You're as crazy as always."
Shin In Soo smiled brighter. Not giving a verbal response, but his very action states that he doesn't deny it.
"I have no objections." Lin Ji-Young spoke first, expressing her agreement towards their guild master's plan. It doesn't really matter whether she agrees or not, as long as the payment is as good as it makes, she'd take it. New dungeons have a lot of raw materials too, some will sell well and some might just be a good gift for her little brother.
"I have no objections." Kim Sora also raised her hand to side with Shin In Soo.
"I have no objections." A few more officers and executives joined to agree.
Shin In Soo smiled. Pleased with their agreement. "Thank you for your cooperation. I hope we have more conversations like these." He told everyone with a grin.
Shin Sera fixed her sharp glasses and nodded. "This concludes our meeting. Details will be sent to you after the list finalizes." She said, at the same time, calmly and consistently typing on her tablet.
"Great. Thank you vice guild leader." Shin In Soo gave her a thumb's up. After that, he began to walk out of the conference room. Lin Ji-Young stood up but was followed by Shin Sera. Moving side by side with her.
The three were together, trailing only one direction only meant that they have somewhere to be. With Shin In Soo in front, Shin Sera started to talk business with Lin Ji-Young.
The topic seemed to stir the huntress' emotions and made her give a second look at the woman beside her and to the person walking in front of them before frowning thoughtfully. But in the end, she could only sigh and listen to Shin Sera's words as they walked.
The moment they exited the guild main building and crossed towards the hospital only meant one thing: they're going to Lin Young-Jae.
Every step, the others stepped aside to greet the three. Along the way, Woo Eun joined with a file in his arm looking as serious as he first appeared. He glanced at Lin Ji-Young and nodded while she nodded back.
The young man, who was left pondering what he'll do with the one day old bouquet that Park Do Hyun gave him was still in the same predicament when Lin Ji-Young returned.
He was staring at the sky outside, his pale skin glowing from the daylight, giving a beautiful shine like a fairy that emerged out of a fantasy world.
Hearing inconsistent footsteps behind him approaching, Lin Young-Jae immediately turned his head with wary eyes. Only when he recognized the people then did his eyes softened and smiled welcomingly.
"Noona, guild master, vice guild master, and uncle. What brought you all here?" He acknowledgingly asked.
"Young-Jae, how's your health these days?" Woo Eun asked first.
The young man looked at himself and the smiled. "I'm feeling great these days." He replied.
"Good. By tomorrow, the Legion guild's medical team will be preparing the transfer."
The young man blinked twice. Things had been unexpectedly quick these days. He often gets caught off guard. He looked at Lin Ji-Young who looked just as unwilling of the situation.
He did agree to go. Well, until the Aegis guild is stable enough to be safe for him to return back to. But sticking to Park Do Hyun is also a lifeline for Young-Jae so he really didn't have a choice. As long as he gets to live long then this setting is okay too.
"Noona..." The boy glanced at Lin Ji-Young softly.
The ice queen looked at him too and smiled. "I'll visit you often. As soon as we're done with the clean up, I'll get you back."
It seems like it's not only the clean up that they'll have to worry about. But also the great dungeon that was approaching. Lin Ji-Young worries that staying in Aegis might not really be safe for her younger brother after all. At least when it comes to security, as long as the moles had not yet been plucked away from this guild, she will never feel as assured as she did before.
Even now, she rejected several raids just to stand guard.
Losing her brother once is enough to raised her fear and cautiousness. She didn't want to repeat the same heartbreaking experience again. Especially when she nearly lost her brother forever.
"What about the doctors in the first lab?" Lin Young-Jae suddenly remembered about them.
Those who strongly opposed the young man's transfer to Legion is surprisingly quiet about it so he couldn't help but instinctively ask.
Woo Eun smiled. "You don't have to worry about them. They've agreed." At least with the hospital director's pressure, they finally agreed.
The clueless youth breathed a sigh of relief. Although there's doubt, he didn't ask how anymore.
.
The next day was unexpectedly fast. Lin Young-Jae had luggage packed for him...
Which made him wonder where it came from. Especially when he remembered not owning anything other than plushies and hospital clothes.
Lin Ji-Young was holding this big luggage that faithful morning. Her eyes was shining with excitement. "I bought your outfits!" She unceremoniously opened the bags which showed brand new items stacked neatly from each other.
She unravelled a beige knitted sweater. "Oh no, I think everything I got here will suit you." There are several colors on the luggage.
It looked like she did a shopping spree overnight.
Lin Young-Jae tried the outfit his older sister told her to try. The young man hesitated, but obediently retreated on the bathroom.
Well, a new wardrobe is also a good thing. It means there's actually progress in his life.
Not only for him, but shopping clothes for Young-Jae is one of Ji-Young's dreams in life. To splurge on her younger brother with nice things.
She did try to make him wear different clothes back then, but it's unfortunate that the time spent changing drained his energy so much he passed out before even looking at the mirror properly.
Now that they found out that using his ability can actually make him feel better, she decided that it's time to start buying!