Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Han Yoojin could feel that his already worthless leg was crushing underneath him.

The smoke was rising up around him. The air was thick with purple coloured fog. He was suffocating with the heat that he breathed, but he didn't seem to realize it.

More important matter was going on in front of his eyes. Multiple screen-like-notifications showed up in front of him, -yelling "Final Gratitude!" "Final Gratitude!" one after another.

Before this whole situation started, he supposed he was feeling fortunate that he managed to influence many people during this hunt-and-gather expedition. He was elated to imagine getting as many gems and experience (even if low level) from this team. He thought that day was his lucky day.

But not now. The horror of reliving the memories of his teammates, one after another, right up to their final moments, -were sure to give him nightmares for a lifetime.

The Lauchitas.

The highest level of poison and cursed dragon. The visual of a nightmare of what Hell would look like. He should be dead just by looking at the appearance of such monstrosities.

Han Yoojin didn't know if it was a curse or a blessing that his level increases for a while at the moment of his influences' death.

He used all his strength to run and find a place to hide, while ignoring the many memories of his teammates.

But alas, it had been about 3 hours. Even with his new heighten level, he knew what his fate would be.

He would not be getting out of this dungeon alive.

Finally coming to that conclusion, his body stumbling over as if giving up.

'This is the end...'

Han Yoojing shivers when coming to term with his fate.

'I'll die like the rest of them.. and no one would know what happened to us..."

His hands began to tremble terribly, and tears already running down his face.

'... why? ... what happened? ... that Monster should not appeared here.. This situation.. This... should not be happening... '

And then suddenly, as if understanding his ending was near, a thought popped up after a long while.

'Yoohyun.'

And it was so sudden, that Han Yoojing was kind of froze himself. And then he laughed. And laughed. Because it was so absurd.

'why you, Yoohyun? You don't even think of me as your hyung anymore...'

In the dark corner of the dungeon, Han Yoojin began to accept the situation. The purple fog slowly becoming too thick, that he began hallucinating strange things. Debris continued flying around, as the Dragon trashes surrounding area. The scream that the Dragon let out was making him deaf.

but then, as if fate wanted to test him again, a voice shouted,

"Hyung!"

It was shouted again and again, searching for that one person. But Han Yoojin didn't give any reaction.

"Hyung! Where are you?!"

"Answer me!"

"Hyung!"

And then, the sound of the blade exploded in a clash with the Dragon finally spooked him.

"Yoo..hyun?"

'No? This can't be, right?'

'Yoohyun hates me.'

In his crumbled form, he let out a sad laugh. 'Even my dying moment would be so pitiful...'

'... to imagine Yoohyun would come to save me...'

But the sound of spark continued in the dense fog. And Han Yoojin heart began to race as it acknowledging his reality.

'No... this can't be...'

Horror came to his face when he finally witness the all-too-familiar black flame in the dungeon.

'Yoohyun...'

'Yoohyun..!!'

"HAN YOOHYUN,

WHY DID YOU COME?!!"

"Hyung?"

"GET OUT FROM HERE!!"

The audacity! He should not be coming after claiming that Han Yoojin would not be his brother anymore!

So what was he doing here?!

"Hyung! Stay right where you are!"

Why?!

"I'm going to get you out!"

"No...

NOO!

GET OUT!!!"

But of course, if Han Yoohyun was anything, he was stubborn.

As he drew his blade on the ground, a large black flame emerged to separate himself with the Dragon.

He quickly made his way to his hyung, carefully stepping on the leaves, avoiding the falling rocks here and there. And Han Yoojin could only watch with a growing horror.

"GET OUT FROM HERE!!"

"Hyung! Calm down!"

"I don't want to calm down!

I just want you... to not..

... TO NOT BE HERE!"

And after a moment, Han Yoohyun finally reached his hyung.

"Hyung..."

"Yoohyun-ah.. why did you come?"

Han Yoojin didn't get his answer. He was abruptly carried up on top of his brother's shoulders, as if he weighted nothing. With a quick work, Han Yoohyun drew another set of black flame, and backed away as far as possibly from the Dragon, -to behind a large boulder in the far end of the dungeon. Han Yoojin was feeling numb.

This couldn't be happening. Maybe, he was still hallucinating.

"Hyung, listen to me."

But Yoojing knew this was not it. As his brother put him gently on the floor, Yoojin could only stare absent-mindedly at the face that should be familiar, but had not be seen for several months that it feels like a stranger.

A hand touched his shoulder.

"Hyung, I need you to concentrate."

Yoojin let out a sad chuckles. He didn't expect this kind of reunion.

"I.. have a pass to get out of this dungeon."

His hand was grabbed and forcefully opened. Yoojin felt something smooth and round in his hand.

"It's a gate pass. You can use this to get out from here."

Feeling the small thing in his hand, he felt the incoming sense of dread.

'This...'

"How many do you have...? this gate pass?"

Because an item as unique as this, couldn't come easily. It was the first time he heard of such thing. It must came after overcoming a very high level dungeon.

Yoohyun was avoiding his gaze.

"Hey, answer me.."

His younger brother hastily got up. Checking his items in inventory in a swift look, he gave his hyung a final checking.

"Hey, Yoohyun-ah.. "

Blade in his hand, he turned to face the Dragon that slowly shorten the distance between them. 

"Hey...

hey...

Yoohy...!"

And then he jumped.

"THIS.

LITTLE.

BASTARD!!

COME BACK HERE!! HEY!!"

And he could only watched as his younger brother fought in an impossible battle, -knowing what fate he would end with. Throwing his whole life fighting the nightmare in the form of a Dragon.

 Han Yoojin could only heard his voice screaming. The blood was rushing to his head. His whole body trembling in anger, -and fright. Again, he screamed.

"COMEEE!

BACKKK!

HEREEEE!!"

Chapter Text

He felt numb.

The fight ended, -but his brother had lost. He would know. Because his brother's cold body was in his arms.

He didn't know if he lost his voice, but his throat felt raw, -and torn. Maybe he would be mute. But that's not the point.

Memories..

There were his brother's memories, -coming from the skill 'Final Gratitude'.

He felt like he should be understanding something after going through the memories.

But he didn't.

All the words that kept repeating were..

"why Yoohyun..

Yoohyun..

You... you bastard...

Why you never tell me the reasons...

You didn't tell me anything..

You're a real bastard...

Yoohyun-ah..

.. why...?

I raised you better than this.. "

Han Yoojin didin't know what to feel. He had the feeling of contempt for a long time towards his younger brother, for throwing him aside after achieving a great feat. Like he was a no-one to him. Like he had worth nothing.

When in truth, Han Yoojin was the most precious person to his brother. He threw away his life for him afterall.

Han Yoojin kept on rocking his body, with his brother's inside of his arms. Like how he did when his brother was a babe.

"Are you satisfied now, Yoohyun-ah..?

Playing a victim..?

Playing a hero, -one sidedly...?"

He patted his brother's back, like he would try to sooth him from worry.

"Our Yoohyun tried to carry all the burden on his back.."

He kept soothing the cold body, despite hearing the roaring of the Dragon, continuing trashing the dungeon.

".. he didn't even get praise for all his effort.."

And he kissed the top of his brother's head.

"... our Yoohyun died a stupid death.."

He smiled.

".. is this what you want, Yoohyun?

Me, going crazy?"

Then, he gently put the body aside, and rising up.

"I was mad before, because you left me alone.. Now, I don't even know what I'd do..

You know... after I kill the fucking Dragon..

Maybe..

..I'll try to destroy the world."

The fight had ended in an instant. Han Yoojin was laughing on top of the crushed dragon's head.

Madness was seen from his eyes.

All the memories from his brother, and the people he had influenced before, -replaying in his mind.

He felt like he had lived all those lives. He had so many emotions going on. He didn't even know if some of the memories were his own..

More..

He needed to do something more..

The only thing that had driven him all these years were spite, -and love, towards his younger brother.

Now that his brother was gone, he needed a new goal to fill the void in his heart.

As if interrupting his thought, a notification was sounded.

*Ping!

TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT!

DEFEATING THE GREAT POISON AND CURSE DRAGON, LAUCHITAS, SOLO!

RECEIVED 1X WISH STONE!

That notification made him froze.

'A wish stone?'

"What do you mean, a wish stone?!

Can it just granted any wish?!"

Nothing answered him.

"Then..!

Then...!!

Yoohyun! My brother!

BRINGS BACK MY BROTHER!"

The next *Ping! answered his request.

WISH DENIED.

A WISH STONE CANNOT BE USED TO BRING BACK A LIFE.

"Then what use is this stone to me?! Don't call it a 'Wish Stone' when it can't do anything!!"

Yoojin threw away the stone with all his strength.

Harsh breathings left his mouth. Even after his death, Yoojin still cannot let go of his brother.

He still remembered the first time he held the small baby hands.

The first time he recorded his brother's first steps.

The first time he send his brother to elementary school.

Hell, all his life had been revolving around his younger brother.

No wonder when he was awakened he was given the skill 'Caretaker'.

"... Yoohyun-ah."

If only he could start again...

Eyes opened wide, Yoojin frantically scrambled around. Searching for the 'Wish Stone' god knows where he threw.

Using the new speed and skills, he finally found it. Unscathed.

Truly a legendary item.

Without wasting anymore minutes, Yoojin shouted.

"Time..!

I want the time when my brother is still with me!

Turn back the time! 

Please!"

*Ping!

PLEASE STATE THE DESIGNATED TIME

".. what..

so you can't brings back my Yoohyun,

but you can easily turn back the time?

Are you malfunction somehow?"

'Or do you also want to fuck around with me?'

*Ping!

PLEASE STATE THE DESIGNATED TIME.

"Yeah, I know..

why are you reminding me twice?"

Ignoring the slightly bizarre situation, Yoojin thought about the time when he still had a harmonious relationship with his brother.

The time that he and his brother understood each other.

The time they were still communicating with respect to each other.

The time that he would support his brother with all his heart.

He thought about the day the dungeon gate appeared.

Yoojin thought about it. He actually didn't want to be a high level hunter. He didn't want to be powerful. He never care about all the attention Yoohyun had got.

All he wanted, was to walk side by side with his brother.

Maybe, if maybe he could communicate better..

'Because that bastard had a communication skill of a shit..'

"Then turn back time to the day the dangeon gate first appeared."

*Ping!

CALCULATING...

...

SUCCESS! 

WISH STONE IS USED!

...

TURNING BACK TIME TO 10 YEARS AGO!

Yoojin let out a sigh of relief.

'Maybe this time, our relationship could be better.'

Then suddenly,

*Ping!

WARNING! 

A SUDDEN INTERFERENCE APPEARED!

"Wait.. what?"

*Ping!

WISH STONE IS OVERLOADED WITH TURNING BACK TIME!

USER WILL BE PENALIZED!

"What penalized?! You didn't warn me about this before!"

But it was too late. Yoojin could already feel a sense of disoriented.

His limbs were starting to fade.

*Ping!

USER'S MEMORIES WILL START FROM THE DAY THE TIME TURNED!

"Memories..?!

What does that mean..?!

Hey, somebody answer me!

HEYY!!"

And with the last shout, he was gone.

In another space,

"Are you sure we should do this?"

"Han Yoojin had a great potential.."

"Well, true. His skill the 'Caregiver' is the only skill that didn't belong to anybody else."

"It's a scary skill."

"He could help our cause tremendously."

"But why do we need to erase his memories?"

"We're not actually 'erasing'. We're actually just sealing his memories, until certain levels are reached, and he could unlocked his memories one by one.."

"But why did we need to send him to the past?"

"Because he as he is now, will destroy the world.. when he lost sight of his goal in life.

His brother."

Chapter Text

Han Yoojin didn't know how to explain this sudden feel of burning.

How strange. One minute he was in the truck with two of his co-workers. And then, out of the blue, - a feeling he hadn't experienced yet overwhelmed him.

His eyes were clouded. There was something dense and smokey surrounded him. The flying debris and smoke particles should make him having a problem breathing.

Sensations. Suddenly, he felt a lot of things at once in the small frame of his body. What is this feeling? There was energy waiting to burst from deep inside of him. And this urge..

'.. What is this urge?' He clenched his hands, -the hands that were now emitting a dark flame. Something isn't right. What is this sudden feel of power in himself. Heart racing fast, he tried to restrain himself from doing something regretful.

But that's the thing, he didn't remember what that something was... And why did his heart felt so heavy. Felt like an important thing had lost from his life?

He looked at the dark flame on his hands.

..

" .. jin..?

..

He clenched the burning flaming hands. This scene, he had seen it before, -just that it shouldn't be on his hands. He opened them, and turning them around to test the flame. The sparks flew from his flame captivating him. Again, he asked himself, why is the flame on him?

Shouldn't it be on...
..

"... hey..

..

.. the water droplets fallen on his flaming hands woke him up.

..

"..Hey, Yoojin-ssi..?"

Han Yoojin snapped out of his musing. Funny, he didn't remember being so out of place. Somehow he felt out of breath, like he had just finished doing an excessive workout regime.

".. woah -woah! Hey.. hey.. Yoojin-ah, what's wrong?" the kind, almost-like-an-uncle coworker looked at him worriedly. But he couldn't spare to give him much thought because he needed to focus on driving the truck. The other coworker, a kind older lady asked him next.

".. Yoojin-ssi, are you ill?"

Taking a few breaths to calm himself, Han Yoojin looked wildly at the two of them.

He himself didn't know what happened. For a minute after the surreal experience, he seemed to forget who the two of them were. He didn't even remember where he was.

He took a breath again. Right, he was working. And these two were his coworkers.

Focusing his thought, he gave the two of them a reassuring smile, and a thumbs up. ".. You sure?" the uncle coworker asked.

" Wait, I think I have something to help if you are feeling dizzy or having a headache.."

Han Yoojin would had appreciate the help. This disorientiated feeling, he wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

But, this heavy feeling...

".. what in the world..?"

.. there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere, and there was a feeling of tense anxiety.

This fear..

"... my GOD..!!"

*CRASHHH!!!!!

There was only a thought in his mind when the collision happened...

'... Yoohyun..!'

Monsters..

There were monsters on the streets. There were monsters in the sky.

There were monsters, -right now, joining the living beings on earth, actively attacking people.

And killing them.

'.. am I dreaming?'

Fear was in the air.

Han Yoojin watched with growing horror as pandemonium broke all around him.

He was saved.

The kind sister-like coworker had saved him. Had dragged him away from the burning truck after successfully counter attacking the monster hunting them.

With a shear power she suddenly possessed.

'... the fuck?'

If he could swear more creatively, he would.

But right now, after the shock had subsided from his mind, he remembered he need to do something.

.. his 15 years old brother that right now should be on the bus coming back home after the quiz competition..

'.. please be safe. please be safe. please be safe.. 

Damn! Where's the phone?!

...

... ah fuck! Why'd you need to be broken?!!!'

A wailing nearby broke him from his frustartion.

More...

There was more weird things happenings, and Han Yoojing pinched his cheek real hard.

There were more holes opening in the sky.

... and more monsters were coming.

'Is God playing with me right now?

...

.. because this can't be happening.'

It had been approximately 3 hours after the sighting of the holes in the sky.

He shouldn't be saying this, but there should be more casualties.

Because logically, they couldn't survive when going against something so otherworldly.

' .. how do they get superpowers?

.. this is all too crazy

Hey, perhaps this is only a movie scene? Yes, it might be it.

This whole town is a movie set. There must be hidden cameras everywhere.

Damn today's technology is so great they make the monsters look so real!'

" Yoojin-ssi! Are you alright?!"

'.. and there goes my escape coping mechanism. Crazy.. I'm going crazy... '

"Noona! How.. how.. ?! Umm... you suddenly grew so strong, noona" he said it sheepishly.

The kind sisterly-coworker looked over her body.

"Yeah. My myscles suddenly grew so big. Ehe. I never thought I would be this strong! Did you see how far I threw that red monster just now?!" said noona excitedly.

"Yeah.. umm... thanks for saving me.."

"Don't mention it! Anyway, what are you doing going around the street? Why didn't you hide? ...Did you also gained superpower?! You don't look any different at all!"

"No.. I'm actually looking for any phone I could use. Mine is broken.. Any people that I see just ran away quickly.. I couldn't borrow from them.."

"... oh, you could use mine. Who do you need to call, Yoojin? Do you remember their number?"

Smiling weakly, he answered, "Always. My brother... I hope... desperately wish.. that he won't be harmed. Thank you noona. I'll just use it for a while.."

"... sure."

*.. ring

*.. ring

*.. ring

".. aha, maybe a bit longer, sorry."

*.. ring

*.. ring

* CLICK!

[... hello?]

".. YOOHYUN!!!!!!"

Chapter Text

If anyone asked Han Yoohyun how does he feel after activating his newfound power, he wouldn't have an answer. 

Because to him, it was the same as always.

Since before, he always knew he was a little different than 'normal' people. It was in the way that he felt these people were beneath him. There were just a different in level between them.

Han Yoohyun knew there were an aura emitting from him that felt uncanny to other people. They were afraid of him. But, it was not the case with his hyung.

His kind, worrywart hyung who was always trying to find out why people would avoid from getting close to his small harmless brother while growing up. Even their own parents blatantly abandoned him and pretending he never exist. His hyung didn't understand. It frustrated him to see his dongsaeng always being alone.

But Yoohyun always knew. These people... perhaps they felt it too. The feeling of intimidation coming off from Yoohyun that was like a predator bidding his time to prey on these lowly lives.

And it came out today.

The power that had resided inside of him all along finally made its debut that day. Han Yoohyun flexed his hands. These flame feels familiar.

The screen in front of him showed the answer he already knew.

Han Yoohyun - S class hunter.

*.. ring.

It was an unfamiliar number. Han Yoohyun had tried to call his hyung starting after the end of his fight, but they always go to the voicemail. He decided not to waste time, and started jumping on the roofs instead. Searching for the road his hyung said he used to get to work.

*... ring.

That number rung again. Maybe it was his hyung trying to reach him?

*... ring.

* CLICKKK!

".. hello?"

[Yoohyun!!!]

" .. ah, hyung?"

[Yeah! It's me!! Hey, are you alright? Do you have any injury..?!]

".. no." There were some monsters still loitering around. But they seemed to fear him.

Huh, so these guys also low level.

[... hey! Where are you right now?! I'm coming to you!]

".. no, it's okay. I'm fine." Han Yoohyun put more strength into his legs to be faster. Yup. This power is great.

[What do you mean you're fine?! You're fifteen!]

More roofs left broken after he landed on them. Hmm.. he needed to figure out how to adjust his new power.

[Are you in hiding right now..?]

[Don't worry Yoohyun-ah.. ! Hyung will come to save you!]

".. No, it's fine. Really." Sigh. He felt sorry for that one roof. It was a huge hole. He hope they assumed the monsters did it.

[Ah this brat.. just tell me where you are!]

".. Ah, I'm..." Hmm it was amazing how he could jumped from that tall building. It was quite a distance.

[.. why do I hear strong wind over there..?]

" ..." 

[... are you riding on something?]

" .. haha." Ah. He can tell his hyung stress level was rising.

[Why  aren't you hiding?! There're monsters everywhere! Yoohyunn!!!]

".. calm down, hyung. Where are you anyway? Are you near that building with the big squid?"

[Why.. ?!]

[Why are you asking?! I told you to hide!!]

[I.. ! Will.. ! Come..! To YOU!!]

".. I'm around that area anyway. Just tell me, hyung. I don't want to miss you."

[.. ~!!!]

Ah. There was a figure that looked like hyung.

[.. HAN..!]

[YOO..!]

[HYUNNN.. !!]

Thankfully there weren't much monsters left.

So there were many people who were awakened, huh?

How about hyung?

[.. hey.. ! Answer me.. !!]

[... ]

[.. is.. ?]

[.. is that you.. ?]

Alright, time to meet him.

[.. Yoohyun-ah..?]

Han Yoojin's face started to pale. His dongsaeng was falling from the sky.

His young,

-fifteen years old,

-school boy dongsaeng. He leapt from that tall building.

*.. whewww..

*... CRASHHHHHH!!

Debris flying everywhere. There was a very large crater where he landed.

" ...aaahhhHHH!! .. YOOHYUNNNN!!"

Throwing the phone he borrowed somewhere behind him, he ran to where his brother was.

".. hello, hyung."

And there was his dongsaeng. Standing while dusting his trousers.

Pretending like he didn't just try to kill his hyung with that stunt.

"... What the hell were you doing.. ?!!"

Without thinking, Yoojin landed a slap across his dongsaeng's back.

Fuck. It's hard. "... aahhh! My hand..!"

Looking anxious, Yoohyun asked, "Are you okay, hyung..?"

"Okay... ?!" looking at the sorry expression of his brother, Yoojin would like to calm down. But then he looked down, and saw the crater again, " I.. ! Would be okay.. ! If you didn't try.. ! To look like you were killing yourself!!"

Finally looking around, Han Yoohyun gave a sheepish look to his brother.

"... I have new power. I've awakened, hyung."

A little bit bitter because he worried, Yoojin snapped, ".. yeah! I realised that.. !! If not ..! I would meet your corpe!!"

Rubbing at his head, because he was really sorry, Yoohyun waited until Yoojin finished with his rant.

"... and what are you doing coming here..?!

I thought you were taking a bus going home..?!

This place is too far from there... !!

There are still monsters everywhere.. !!

Even if you have new power, you'd still don't know how to control it... !

Yahh!! Yoohyun!!

You are just a young boy!

You should need someone's help when there is emergency..!

You should've waited for me!!"

Yoohyun tried to answer to his hyung, but thought better of it.

He looked around. There were people looking at them. 

But their expression.. and the way they were trembling on the ground...

Including the woman that was beside his hyung just now that he sure was awakened..

.. their eyes looked frightened when meeting his.

".. hey..!!

.. are you listening to me.. ?!!"

So Yoohyun was puzzled why was his hyung unaffected?

That was his question from a long time ago.

" ... hey Yoohyun!!"

".. hyung."

"What?!"

".. have you awakened?"

Still feeling angry, Yoojin waited for a while to calm himself.

Awakened? Is that what they called themselves, someone with power?

Right. Yoohyun is awakened. This is a whole new reality right now.

There's no need to panic.

But damn why'd he need to play with his heart like that.

Letting out a breath, he answered, ".. no, I don't"

Looking at his dongsaeng's quizzical face, he asked, ".. what?"

"No.. it's just really weird."

"What is so weird? .. I know there are some people with no special power.." avoiding Yoohyun eyes, he continued, "I am one of them."

".. no, really. Hyung.. are you sure?"

".. ? I am sure!"

Yoohyun then gesturing to something in front of him. ".. do you see any screen right here?"

"What screen..? .. is that what you see when you aw-awakened..?"

"Yeah. Can you see it?"

" No.. ! I..!" Letting out a breath, Yoojin can feel his body was deflating.

He had anxiety and stress running his body for hours straight. But now that he reunited with his brother again, energy was leaving his body.

".. I have no power, Yoohyun-ah" Literally, and figuratively.

".. you really okay, hyung?"

".. Yoohyun-ah.. our Yoohyun.. ahh, can this hyung hug you, Yoohyun?"

Looking at his dongsaeng's face, Yoojin knew he was feeling embarassed. But he still opened up his arms to receive a hug.

".. ahh.. Yoohyun-ah.." Yoojin let his body sag more and more into his brother.

He was feeling rather sleepy, "I was really worried about you.."

His dongsaeng's warmth really forcing out the stress from his body. "I was going to call you earlier, you know? But I couldn't find a phone.."

Yoohyun was rather alarmed looking at his hyung like this. ".. hyung?"

"..ahh.. Yoohyun-ah, my phone is broken.. I'm so stressed I couldn't reach you.."

He could sleep just like this, hugging his dongsaeng. He gave a few pats to his brother's back. Humming his favourite song." ... Yoohyun..

Yoohyun-ah..  I love you.. "

And too bad he closed his eyes and fell into the world of slumber before he heard the sound

*Ping!

Han Yoojin - SS class hunter.

But not a second later,

as if being afraid,

the letter in the notification quickly changed

Han Yoojin - F class hunter.

Chapter Text

It's been more than two months since the 'awakened' event. And Han Yoojin was staring at his door, - or what used to be his door, in silent acceptance.

"..ahh.. sorry, hyung." Yoohyun was rubbing the back of his head in regret.

Closing his eyes slowly, -because it's the fourth time now! dammit-, Yoojin chose to take a slow deep breath, and replied gently..

".. it's fine, Yoohyun-ah. You know what, it's too hot nowadays haha! I guess we could just sleep with more air from the outside tonight. FRESH AIR!

Hahahaha!

I heard cold air is good for your health!

Good thing that we have extra blankets... haha!"

Han Yoojin was feeling very tired. He didn't have the energy to fake a smile anymore. But at least the laugh sounded sincere.

Right?

He looked at the door again. And the huge cracks around it. Actually, there were multiple cracks exist everywhere in their house.

" ... ahhhh...." *Sighhh..

"... your eyes look soulless, hyung."

"... shut up."

"Maybe I should just go camping outside. I already have all my things here."

As fast as lighting, Yoojin quickly grabbed the backpack from his brother. "Are you crazy?! You think I would just let a schoolboy live and sleep outside... ?!"

"... well... "

" - as if he doesn't have any guardian?! You thought I've lost all my conscience as your older brother...! "

"... hyung... "

"... just because you'd suddenly grew stronger..! And the world became crazier...!!"

"... umm, the door... "

"... I'm still your older brother! And as long as I live.. !"

*Crack.  

"I'll make sure... ! To have you live safely under my roof... !"

*Crack! Crackk! 

"... understand Yoohyun..?! Under. My. Roof!"

And at that exact moment, the wall where the front door used to be, collapsed as if on cue.

Yoojin cursed. " ... fuck! "

Looking at the crumble of the house their parents left behind, Yoojin could only feel blood leaving from his face.

"... hyung."

"... don't say it."

"... at this rate,"

"... don't."

"... There won't be anymore roof for both of us." And more bricks fell down joining the mess on the floor. Leaving the two brothers in dust.

Yoohyun casually grabbed his backpack from hyung's limping grip.

Han Yoojin took a couple more minutes to stare. With blank eyes. 

"... I-.. I will choose where you live and sleep. Alright?"

"... yeah, hyung."

"We will find a place outside for you. Where no one will disturb or harass you. God knows there are so many creeps and perverts nowadays..."

"... ? I'm strong, hyung."

"So?! You don't know how scary outside world right now! We will find you a safe place outside! At least... ! Until you managed to control your S-class power! 

Alright... ?!

*Sighhh.. ahh really, this is a very shitty situation. We live in such small apartment. If you don't move out , -when you're like this, not forever!, this whole building would just collapsed."

"... yeah, that's why I told you months ago, - it's better for me outside."

Yoojin took a breath and replied, "and I said, I would follow you outside, but you wouldn't let me."

"Because unlike me, your body did not changed, hyung. You would get sick spending your life outside." Yoohyun looked at his brother concerningly.

"Ah this brat... I'm not really that fragile!" *Scoffed. "I know how to handle myself! But you wouldn't budge... ! So here we are!!"

Yoojin waved around, showing the state of apartment they were in. The wide hole that was left on the wall enabled them to easily look into corridor. Maybe it shouldn't even be called a wall anymore. Yoojin let out a laugh.

"... You know, both sides of our neighbors already emptied their houses. Haha."

'... but they're not moving out because of the house,' Yoohyun thought. '- well, maybe part of it, but because they were afraid if my new strength would hurt them...' 

Yoohyun could clearly remembered how they wouldn't even meet his eyes. Even before the whole awakening debacle, they didn't really look at him, -more like treating him like he was an obstacle on the road. But now... now they had witnessed what a small touch of his could do.

And they didn't need anymore reasons to move out. Mostly to avoid accidental death.

'... and that's another thing that peculiar about hyung. My power-.. doesn't affect him... ' He stared at his hyung in bewilderment.

Why?

Why does Yoojin seemed to be the exception?

At first, when Yoohyun had learned that he could destroy a thing with a single touch, he was so afraid to be near his brother. Not even an inch of him had any desire to accidentally hurt his hyung.

But then. He remembered. 

His hyung had hugged him. And he returned the hug with little to no scratch. 

It was bizarre.

How could his power seemed to be nullified on his brother? 

Was this what his brother truly is all this time? An exception to the S-class power?

Han Yoohyun didn't understand. But he was glad to see that his power wouldn't have any effect on his brother. Just the house.

'Yup, the house,' he grimaced.

Seeing his hyung's pained expression as the leftover money from their parents' passing slowly depleting, - ah really sorry hyung - Yoohyun made a resolution to pay it back to his brother somehow.

Han Yoohyun flicked open one of his fingers. A black flame was seen dancing brightly. It would be his turn to protect and help his dear hyung this time.

Now that he was feeling determined, Yoohyun started to focus on the problem at hand. He glanced again at the far end window facing the main road. 'Their' presences were quite insistent. He couldn't help but feel irritated. 

'... two this time... '

Unleashing a dominating aura towards their direction sure made 'them' feel pressured and frightened. He didn't need to see to know their black-cladded figures surely shivered like the animals of prey.

And yet, these guys were quite persistent. They didn't fled.

Yoohyun could vaguely understand why they were here. But they took their sweet time observing his and his hyung's daily lives. 

'It's been months...' 


As if sensing that their target's irritation increasing, they tried to conceal their presences much better.. but it only served to grate Yoohyun's nerves much further.

'Ah...

maybe I should pay them a visit today...'

"... hey Yoohyun?"

'ha.. -now-, they are moving.. "... yeah hyung?"

"... why do you have that scary expression on your face?"

" ... haha! what do you mean, hyung?" 

Yoojin scowled, but he didn't really have the energy to debate on his brother's expression now that the evidence already gone. But then he felt stress incoming, "... ah!! Please don't play with your fire like that! We don't need anymore damage to this place!"

Extinguishing the fire on his hand, Yoohyun showed the most innocent face to his hyung, "I was just practicing, hyung.."

"... urgh. Damn you and your little-brother-face." Saying that, Yoojin knew that face was still his weakness as an older bother. "... Anyway, don't you have a practice to go to today?"

Glancing again at the window, to sense at which directions they disappeared to, Yoohyun distractedly answering his hyung.. "... ahh, the basketball practice.. sure hyung. Thanks for reminding me."

Yoojin was giving his little brother a look, as if sensing something wasn't quite right.

Smiling, Yoohyun grabbed another backpack, and walked towards what used to be an entrance. "I'll be going now, hyung."

"... ahh!! Remember to come back for dinner!" Yoojin shouted after him, "And then we could think about a suitable place for you to live!"

Yoohyun waved a goodbye to him, "... sure hyung." '... alright now...

... Which direction was it...?'

Yoohyun didn't apply as much grip on this person's neck, as he would like to. 

Chapter Text

".. kkk.. kuhh..!!"

Yoohyun tilted his head, watching with curiosity. 

How strange the way a person's face can be several shades of purple in an instant.

".. kkuh.. kuakkk!!"

That person's nails scratching at his newly powered hand made him marvel on how that action didn't even damage the surface. Yoohyun's skin had truly became invincible.

Han Yoohyun scanned the scenery below him. Ahh.. he couldn't throw this person down there. Too many people.

It was fortunate they were several feet high on top of the building. Not a single soul would know he was about to commit a crime.

Well, he hoped.

".. pp.. please let him.. go.. please.."

Yoohyun heard the plea behind him. He thought he already trashed that old man. How tenacious.

Ahh.. he could feel the slow dissipating of life force in his grip. Hmm.. interesting how a face could contort that much.

Well, play time is over.

*THUDD!

With black clothes already dirtied with blood and ashes, that man rolled across the roof floor like an old rag. 

"Talk."

Yoohyun demanded. He didn't use much words. But he knew they understood what he wanted.

Talk.

Tell him who they are.

What are they after.

Talk.

Tell him everything he needed to know.

That man struggling to breath, "... coug..! cough.. !!"

".. Jeosung!" The old man tried to sprint towards his partner. But

*... Ka-boOMM!!

a large piece of building roof was quickly placed between the two partners.

It was really sudden, and the act was like the large piece of concrete amount to nothing when really, that piece could easily kill. It was also placed an inch within his next step.

The old man stared at the teenager, '.. he's truly a teenager.. right?'-, with great power in front of him with trembling eyes. 

Yoohyun just stood calmly. He waited.

"... I.. !

I'll talk..!

I..!"

The old man felt all the warning bells were going off inside of his head. His heartbeat really quicken to the point he struggled to keep up. 

One minute he and the other two were on top of the building, and the next, that frightening teenager threw both of them inside the nearest dungeon.

And there he walked slowly inside from the entrance.

Hands from both his sides were raised, -and the old man already knew about this, but the scene of actually seeing how black flames erupt from the teen's hands still shook his soul to the core. 

The flames were so black and dancing intensely on his hands.

The teen, -Han Yoohyun- his mind supplied, scanned the surrounding, looking at the perplexed monsters stuck on their places locked by fear.

It seemed that his mind finally decided, that he let loose the flames, shooting them at both sides.

*... Fwoosh!! Fwoosh!!

Then again, more black flames poured out of his hands like a living being.

*.. Fwooshh!! Fwooshhh!!

More.

And more.

*.. Fwooshhh!!

FwooshHH!!

FWOOOSSHHHHH!!

And the old man was not a religious man by any means, but if he was asked what hell looks like, he would say,

'This'.

All the monsters scrambling around trampling everyting in their ways just to survive.

The many montrous trees, hard rocks, and tall leaning mountains, -anything in the dungeon quickly swallowed by the flames and succumbed to ashes in seconds.

The soil blackened and cracked.

And even if he didn't want to believe it, his partner's unresponsive body had already blackened and waiting to crumble, unable to escape the heated dungeon floor when he initially already died upon throwing impact.

It was a bizarre sight. The teenager in front of him should not be wielding this much power.

A long dark flaming sword happened to emerge out of thin air into his hand. His eyes seemed to gleaming red.

Several months ago, if anyone had describe to him a scenario like this, he would scold them, tell them to stop playing the video games and take a look at the reality.

But now, he knew what a devil looked like.

Han Yoohyun stared at him back. The sword was raised high. And when it came down, a dark line of flame blazing straight  to the target.

Somewhere in the distance, the boss of the dungeon roared in distress,

and a loud falling sound was heard.

*.. THUMPPP!!

The old man knew what this meant. He looked again at the teen in front of him. He finally registered this was not a human he was looking at. 

The said teen had a look on his face as if to say, 'Why do you look that surprised?'

And finally, he accepted. The flames already started licking at his shoes. Yeah.. this was how he went.

The first hell.

Han Yoohyun stood by the dungeon portal's entrance, waiting for it to close.

'... hmm so the dungeon will disappear when the boss is killed..'

He had a contemplating expression plastered on. Finally came a day that he can confirmed the new dungeon information he read from the forum board.

Lucky that a F-class dungeon was opened nearby. Now he knew he could just disposed any unwanted visitors without anyone the wiser.

Thinking of the two men he just killed, his mood worsened.

'We are here to scout,..' they said.

Scout. Han Yoohyun thought about a couple of guilds that were quite famous on the forum.

After about a month from the first appearance of the dungeons, the awakened people had form multiple groups to band together against the monsters.

From there, there were different kind of guilds.

The guilds that speciliasing in attacking the dungeons were the most popular, because they were groups full of powerful people.

There were also guilds that speciliasing in rescues and healings, guilds that specialising on understanding the dungeons, and guilds that interested in studying the monsters.

But this guild in particular, was interested in discovering the unique talents of the awakened people.

And to his surprise, they were also interested in

'... hyung...'

The air around Han Yoohyun raised in several temperature high. The black flames came back to engulf his palms.

He couldn't help it. He just felt so..

'.. why are they interested in hyung..?'

There were several curse words flying around his mind that he knew hyung will berate him for.

Dammit. He had a headache just thinking about it. This shouldn't be the case.

All the people before this had been coming for him. And he had trashed them each and everytime to show the difference in awakened level.

And all these times that had worked. The low level guilds understood to leave him the fuck alone enjoying his everyday's life with his brother.

But to also noticing about his hyung's unusual situations was a little bit concerning. 

Maybe he should just do this from the very beginning. Kill each one of them?

How many more people interested in his hyung?

'.. Han Yoojin seemed to be unaffected by.. your presence..'

That was the line that Yoohyun remembered the most.

'.. we were told.. to recruit you..

but that would be impossible,

... all the guilds that knew of you, couldn't contained your power..'

Yoohyun knew that was the case, but

'.. we noticed..

the unusual relationship between high-level Han Yoohyun.. and low-level Han Yoojin..'

and Yoohyun knew what was coming. He didn't need to hear anymore explanation to understand-

'.. usually when a family member with a high level awakened, the other family members will cower in fear..

.. most will distant themselves.. several already sever the relationship..

but you,

-You, 

..'listened' to your older brother..'

and 'why is that?', Yoohyun knew they wanted to ask.

Han Yoohyun was young, -just a fifteen year old boy. He should be naive, and a little bit of a fool. Still, no guilds were able to recruit him.

If they couldn't control a high-level awakened person with ease like a puppet, despite that person's young age that should be easy to manipulate, -then they were looking for a person that could.

'.. aahh.. really.. ,' Yoohyun sighed deeply. 

They noticed..

Of course, people would notice. It shouldn't be a surprise to him.

The headache grew heavier at the back of his head. He knew the day would come.

He just didn't want to acknowledge it.

'.. it's calm..,' Yoohyun looked up the sky.

'.. it should be the end of the practice..' The sky was getting dark.

'.. hyung should be waiting..'

Dinner.

They were supposed to have dinner together.

But now, Han Yoohyun didn't know if he should be going home.

'.. ahh hyung..

.. what do I do with you..'

Chapter Text

Once again, Han Yoojin felt like he had a fever.

... Haaaa...

'Why is this breath so hot?'

He didn’t know this place—not really. Just darkness stretching into more darkness, and a floor under his knees that felt more imagined than real. His mind tried to reach into his surroundings, to place the space, to find a source.

But he gave up.

Abandoning the question of where he was, how he got here, and what this place was, Yoojin squeezed his eyes shut. His chest expanded, trembling with a stuttering breath.

'Urghh... I feel sick.'

Something pressed heavy on his lungs. Not exactly suffocating—no, it was deeper. Denser. Like heat pooling in his stomach, and a hand pressing on top of it, refusing to let it rise.

'Is this my body... or something else?'

He hunched over. Palms over his head. Legs curled beneath him. Heart pounding like a hammer. It wasn’t just nausea anymore. There was fire crawling beneath his skin, and he hated how familiar it felt.

'What did I eat last night? The eggs? I knew that funky smell meant trouble...'

Another thought stabbed into his chest.

'Yoohyun. Did he eat them too?'

His stomach churned, anxiety turning into guilt.

'God. I made dinner. If he ate them too... What a useless older brother I am.'

The heat inside of him didn’t agree. It pulsed like it had its own heartbeat.

Sizzling.

Then, flame.

Flickers of black-red fire danced up his arms as he looked up, startled. His breath hitched.

*Haaaa...

Smoke curled out from his mouth like dragon’s breath. The flames wrapped his palms. His fingers.

He didn't scream.

Because it wasn’t the first time.

*psshhhhhh!

A violent hiss pulled him back.

Han Yoojin gasped awake.

"Ha... ha... what—?"

His thumb hovered over the dial screen. He had called three times already.

His brother wasn’t the type to forget. Or ignore him.

Something itched at the back of Yoojin’s neck.

' ... Something’s not right.'

He stood up quickly, grabbing his coat. Dinner forgotten.

Yoohyun watched from above as his brother exited the apartment building in a rush.

His clothes were fresh now. No stains. His face clean. The one he’d worn earlier was long burned.

The blood hadn’t come off easily. He had been careless this time.

The third 'mouse' was easier than expected—caught not far from where the last two had been tailing them.

He'd wanted to toss the corpse into a dungeon again. But the closest one was further out than he'd liked. So, a monster attack had to suffice.

'... Should carry spare clothes from now on.'

Han Yoohyun narrowed his eyes. A flicker of movement. His hyung was headed toward the court.

'He's looking for me.'

His hands tightened at his sides.

Should he tell him?

Should he confess about the scouts? About the threats? About the people watching Yoojin?

But what could his hyung do?

Nothing.

Because he was F-class. Because he was fragile. Because he was the only person Yoohyun couldn’t afford to lose.

So, no. He would lie.

He would protect.

Even if it meant distancing himself.

Even if it meant pretending.

When Yoojin arrived, the court was mostly empty, lit only by the flickering overhead lights.

Yoohyun wiped his forehead with the towel slung over his shoulders.

"Yoohyun!"

His brother looked up, pretending to be surprised.

"Hyung? What are you doing here?"

Yoojin frowned. "Practice, right? You didn’t come home, didn’t call... I was worried."

Yoohyun gave him a sheepish smile. "Ah. My bad, hyung. Wrong date. Practice is actually tomorrow. But I figured I’d come shoot around anyway."

Yoojin’s eyebrow twitched.

"Wrong date?"

"Hehe... Sorry."

The older brother crossed his arms.

"Is this your rebellious phase now? Huh? Not calling. Ignoring dinner. Not answering your phone. What next? You gonna dye your hair green and get a tattoo?"

Yoohyun laughed, rubbing his neck. "No tattoo. Maybe silver highlights though."

Yoojin clicked his tongue, annoyed and relieved in equal measure.

"I made seaweed soup, idiot. Burned the fish though."

"You made seaweed soup? My birthday isn’t for another three months."

"You like it, don't you? And I was going to use the leftover chicken. It would've been good."

They stood in silence a moment.

Then Yoohyun smiled. Bright and innocent. Like always.

Yoojin wanted to believe it.

But a sliver of doubt crept in.

"You’re acting weird," he said.

"You say that every time I grow an inch."

"Yeah, well. Stop growing if it means more drama."

Yoohyun laughed again. But his mind wasn’t laughing.

He watched his hyung scan him, looking for signs of injury or stress.

And it made something clench tight inside him.

' He doesn’t know. And he must not know.'

He would be a target again. People were already sniffing around. Already watching. Already noting how unaffected Han Yoojin was around an S-class.

So Yoohyun formed a plan.

Step one: make Yoojin worry a little.

Step two: slowly distance himself. Be late. Be cold. Be untrustworthy.

Step three: when the distance grows, Yoojin won’t be a threat to others anymore. He won’t be used against him.

It would work.

It had to.

"Hyung. Want to walk home together?"

Yoojin was startled. "You’re done already?"

"Yeah. Just needed a few shots. Got it out of my system."

Yoojin looked down at his feet. "Fine. But you’re still eating dinner."

"Even the burned fish?"

"Especially the burned fish."

They shared a grin.

The wind was colder tonight.

Yoohyun wondered how long he could pretend.

But for now, he’d walk beside his hyung.

And keep the fire inside him contained.

Just a little longer.

Chapter Text

Han Yoojin pulled off the last of his work gloves and stuffed them into his fraying backpack. His feet ached, and his arms were sore, but he couldn't help the small grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

He did it.

All three shifts—done.

The early delivery run at dawn, the five-hour stint bussing tables at the crowded food court, and then an impromptu call-in at the minimart. None of it had been easy, but it had all been worth it. Because today was Yoohyun’s birthday.

His little brother, fifteen years old. Already taller than him, already stronger, already... different. Yoojin shook that thought off quickly. No. Today wasn’t the time to think about that.

Today was a celebration.

He looked down at the box he’d been carrying since his break ended. The small bakery he passed every day had a birthday promotion, and he managed to snag one of their last chocolate cream cakes, hand-decorated with tiny strawberries. Next to it, in his pack, was the real treasure: a pair of sports shoes Yoohyun had glanced at weeks ago.

They weren’t the exact ones, of course—those had been from some overpriced brand—but they were close enough in design and durable, practical. And best of all: new.

He could already imagine Yoohyun’s face lighting up. That goofy smile, the spark in his eyes. It had been a while since Yoojin had seen it. Lately, his brother had been smiling with his mouth, but not with his eyes.

A weight settled on Yoojin’s chest as he hurried home.

Something was changing.

Yoohyun had been... distant, though never in any way obvious. He still joked with him, still offered to carry the groceries, still came home most nights (though more than a few times, it was well past midnight). But Yoojin could feel the shift. As if his dongsaeng was slowly building a wall between them—thin, transparent, but steady.

And the worst part?

Yoojin didn’t know why.

The apartment was dim when he arrived, and a quick glance at the time told him it was just past seven. Yoohyun’s basketball practice usually ended by six. Maybe he was late? Or maybe—

“Hyung?”

The voice came from the corner, casual and light, but Yoojin flinched a little at how silently his brother had appeared behind him. The boy was leaning against the now-fixed window frame, dressed in a dark t-shirt and sweats, slightly damp from what looked like a solo practice session.

“You’re home already?”

Yoojin laughed and held up the cake box like a prize. “Damn right I am! What kind of hyung would I be if I was late to your birthday?”

Yoohyun blinked, as if surprised. “Oh... right.”

Yoojin’s smile wavered just a little. That reaction felt off. Was he pretending to forget?

“You forgot your own birthday?” he teased lightly, trying to brush off the moment. “Wow, turning fifteen really wiped your memory.”

Yoohyun rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, just... didn’t think we were doing anything special.”

The words stung more than Yoojin cared to admit. But he kept smiling, even as his chest tightened.

“Well, it is special,” he said, making his way to the kitchen counter. “We have cake. And seaweed soup. And—ta-da!”

He pulled out the box of shoes with a dramatic flair and set it in front of Yoohyun.

His little brother opened it slowly, then stared at the shoes for a few moments. “You bought these?”

“Of course! Your old ones were falling apart.”

Yoohyun looked down, the corner of his lips twitching into a soft smile. “Thanks, hyung. Really.”

There it was again. That small flicker of affection. But it felt... muted. Like there was a layer of something between them. Hesitation? Guilt?

Yoojin turned quickly to stir the soup, pretending not to notice the silence that followed.

Dinner was warm, if a bit quiet. They sat on the floor, sharing food, candles flickering low in the background. The seaweed soup turned out perfect—Yoojin had always made it the way their mother used to. Soft seaweed, slow-simmered broth, and bits of meat Yoohyun liked.

They ate, and Yoojin told stories from work, cracking bad jokes that made Yoohyun chuckle. But the laughter never reached the boy’s eyes.

When it was time to cut the cake, Yoojin lit the candle and sang the birthday song with all the enthusiasm he could muster. Yoohyun played along, but there was a hollowness to it. When Yoojin asked him to make a wish, his brother was quiet for a little too long.

“I wished...” Yoohyun finally said, eyes on the flame, “... that hyung will always stay safe.”

Yoojin blinked, startled. “That’s it? What about new basketball gear? A scholarship? World peace?”

Yoohyun shrugged, smiling again. “You’re more important.”

Yoojin felt the words catch in his throat.

Damn it.

Why did this feel like a goodbye?

Later that night, after the cake was stored and the dishes were done, Yoojin lay in his bed and stared at the cracked ceiling.

He was exhausted. Every part of him ached from the long day. But sleep wouldn’t come.

He couldn’t stop thinking about that wish. About how Yoohyun had looked at him like he was something fragile. Like he was a porcelain doll on a high shelf, seconds from breaking.

And the distance...

That invisible thread pulling Yoohyun further and further.

‘Why?’ Yoojin wondered, eyes burning with unshed frustration.

‘Is it because I’m weak? Is it because I’m just... an F-class?’

He clenched the blanket in his fists. It wasn’t fair.

He had worked himself to the bone. Not for gratitude, not for praise—but because he wanted to be there for Yoohyun. To protect him, to support him. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that his brother was pulling away to protect him instead.

And that made Yoojin feel useless.

“... am I that much of a burden, Yoohyun?” he whispered into the dark.

But the night gave him no answer.

Meanwhile, Yoohyun stood on the rooftop above their building, arms crossed, staring at the lights below. He had changed out of the birthday shirt Yoojin gave him, folding it carefully in his bag.

He hadn’t wanted to accept the gift.

Not because he didn’t like it—but because it hurt.

It reminded him that his hyung was still fighting so hard for him. Still working himself into the ground, still smiling through the fatigue, still acting like everything was okay.

And Yoohyun...

He was keeping secrets.

He was lying with every laugh, every "thank you," every time he said “I’m fine.”

He had killed people. Today, even. One more scout, lurking too close to their neighborhood. Watching their house. Watching his hyung.

Yoohyun didn’t regret it. But he hated that he had to hide it.

If Yoojin ever found out—

He wouldn’t forgive him.

Not because of the death, maybe. But because Yoohyun had chosen to keep it from him.

The guilt twisted in his stomach. Even now, he could still smell the faint hint of blood on his gloves.

“... happy birthday, huh?” he muttered to himself.

It didn’t feel happy.

It felt like a warning.

He knew the attention on his hyung was growing. The guilds weren’t stupid. They noticed too much. Not just his own power, but how Yoojin seemed... untouchable.

He didn’t know why. But they would never stop digging. And if they couldn’t control Yoohyun—

They’d try to go through Yoojin instead.

And that was the last thing Yoohyun would allow.

Which was why—

‘Maybe I really do have to stay away.’

Even if it hurt.

Even if it made his hyung cry.

If that meant Yoojin lived a normal, quiet life—safe, away from blood and danger—then he’d take all the blame.

Yoohyun sat down on the edge of the building, pulled the folded birthday card from his pocket, and stared at it in silence.

The handwriting was messy, the words sincere.

“To my bratty but precious brother—Happy Birthday. Stay healthy. I’m always here.”

Yoohyun folded the card again.

And put it in his jacket pocket—close to his heart.

Chapter Text

Years passed in quiet, almost deceptive peace. The kind of silence that settled not because things were resolved, but because both sides chose not to speak.

Yoojin had grown taller, leaner with muscle from hard work, and wearier with every long shift he took. His hands were calloused, skin perpetually smelling faintly of steel and detergent from juggling three jobs. Every paycheck was split into strict envelopes—food, bills, shoes for Yoohyun, tuition. The last envelope was thickest, carefully sealed, marked only with his dongsaeng’s name.

It was nearing Yoojin’s enlistment date, and he could feel something had shifted. Yoohyun was still polite, still smiling, still helpful. Still his little brother. And yet...

The air between them wasn’t the same.

There was a distance now, as if Yoohyun stood just one breath beyond his reach, always smiling from a place Yoojin couldn’t follow.

Yoojin noticed it when his jokes no longer landed as easily. When Yoohyun started sleeping outside more often, claiming it helped him train his endurance. When the house grew quieter at night, and Yoojin would wake to find the front door unlocked and the faint scent of ash on the wind.

Still, he said nothing. Not because he didn’t want to ask—but because he was afraid of what the answer might be.

Instead, he clung to the things he could control.

“Once I’m done with my service,” he told Yoohyun one night, the two of them seated under their half-collapsed roof, watching the moonlight slip through a missing tile,

“I’ll have a more stable job. We can fix this place, or move to somewhere better. You’ll go to uni. I’ve saved enough. Just focus on finishing school while I’m away, alright?”

Yoohyun nodded quietly. He didn’t argue. He rarely did.

Yoojin took it as agreement.

The day of Yoojin’s enlistment arrived with gray skies and a biting wind. Still, he smiled. Packed his bags. Buttoned up his uniform with trembling fingers and joked about how strange it was to see himself in military khaki.

Yoohyun came to send him off.

He even walked with Yoojin all the way to the bootcamp registration building—quiet the entire time, head slightly bowed. His hands were shoved deep in his coat pockets, as though holding something in.

“You’ll be okay, right?” Yoojin asked, slinging his bag over one shoulder. “Just a couple years. I’ll write. You’ll write too, right?”

“Of course,” Yoohyun said. The words were smooth. The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Yoojin hesitated. There it was again—that sense of something slipping, something unraveling just beneath the surface.

“I know things have been a bit weird lately,” he said slowly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be around more. But I’m still your hyung, okay? No matter what. I’ll come back and we’ll figure everything out.”

Yoohyun’s smile turned gentle. Almost wistful.

“You’re always trying to fix everything,” he murmured.

Yoojin laughed. “Of course I am. It’s my job.”

And then the last call was announced. Yoojin gave his dongsaeng a tight hug. “Take care of yourself, Yoohyun. Promise me.”

“I promise,” Yoohyun said.

But in his heart, that promise was already broken.

The week after Yoojin entered the military, Yoohyun disappeared.

No goodbye. No note.

Not even a trace of his flame was left behind in the cracked, dusty apartment they once called home.

At first, Yoojin thought maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe his brother moved in with someone temporarily. Maybe the neighbors saw something. Maybe...

But no. It was quiet. No one had seen anything. The guilds wouldn't speak to a mere civilian. The world outside the military had already begun shifting again.

Dungeons.

They were evolving.

Growing bigger, deeper, more deadly.

And somewhere in the center of all the chaos, a name began to circulate in low whispers.

A boy cloaked in black, flames wrapped around his limbs like living shadows. A teenager who fought alone, entering dungeons without a team. Slaughtering everything inside with terrifying ease.

Unranked. Unaffiliated.

Unstoppable.

His name wasn’t confirmed at first. But Yoojin knew. He knew.

Yoohyun had made his decision.

He wasn’t going to university. He wasn’t staying home. He wasn’t waiting for his hyung.

He was carving a path of fire through the monster-infested world, and no one could stop him.

The guilds noticed.

Of course they did.

Some approached him with offers—money, resources, training. All were turned down, some more violently than others. There were whispers of entire elite squads sent to negotiate that ended up hospitalized. Or worse.

They tried cornering him in dungeons, surrounding him mid-battle, attempting to “subdue” him for recruitment.

It never worked.

Yoohyun fought like a force of nature. Unrelenting. Cold. Calculated.

And always alone.

He didn’t explain. Didn’t linger. Burned their names into the stone with black flame, then vanished into smoke before backup could arrive.

There were those who called him a rogue.

Others, a threat.

The most foolish called him a child to be reined in.

But Yoohyun didn’t care. He was beyond needing validation. Beyond fear.

He didn’t leave room for weakness.

Because weakness led to people like Yoojin being targeted.

And Yoohyun had made a decision.

He would clear dungeons. He would burn through the rot that threatened the world. And he would make sure, from the shadows, that his hyung would never be touched by the people hunting him.

Because if he couldn’t be by Yoojin’s side…

Then at least he could become a shield large enough to cast a shadow that no one would dare cross.

Yoojin didn’t know the details. Not yet.

He just knew that the letters stopped coming.

That no one had heard from his brother in months.

That his savings for tuition sat untouched in an envelope marked “Yoohyun,” while the world shifted beneath his feet.

He tried not to worry.

Tried not to panic.

He trained. Followed orders. Kept his head down.

But some nights, when the barracks were quiet and sleep wouldn’t come, he’d press his face into his arms and whisper,

“Where are you, Yoohyun?”

The wind never answered.

And in the distance, the fires only grew stronger.

Chapter Text

The moment Han Yoohyun stepped into the dungeon, the air changed.

It was subtle at first—temperature dropping slightly, light dimming unnaturally, the buzz of magic clinging to the walls like a second skin. The portal behind him hissed shut, sealing him inside.

This one was different.

He could feel it.

A mid-tier dungeon, Class B. Not dangerous to someone like him—not anymore. But something about it crawled beneath his skin.

The dungeon was a twisted forest. Trees blackened by ash, their branches curved like claws. Mist coiled through the underbrush, hiding movements that twitched just at the edges of sight.

He adjusted the scarf around his neck, one of the few items left untouched by battle—given by Yoojin long ago.

His fingers flexed.

Black flames flickered into being around his hands. Hungry. Quiet.

They were always hungry now.

*Rustle.

The first one lunged from the mist.

A skeletal wolf with too many eyes and jaws filled with obsidian teeth. It moved soundlessly, its claws barely brushing the ground as it flew at Yoohyun’s throat.

He didn’t flinch.

He sidestepped, hand slicing through the air.

*FWOOOOOSH!!

The black fire caught the creature mid-leap, burning it from the inside out. It screamed, body unraveling in midair before collapsing into dust.

More rustles.

The pack came next. Five. No—seven. Maybe more behind the veil.

Yoohyun sighed, stepping into a loose stance. His boots crunched against scorched leaves.

The flames danced higher.

“Come.”

They obeyed.

The wolves surged from the woods, shadows and teeth and snarls. Yoohyun moved like water, like wind. His body flickered, faster than the eye could follow.

A claw raked through his coat—too slow.

Yoohyun's hand grasped the creature’s neck mid-swipe and exploded it in flame.

He spun, ducked, twisted—an elegant whirlwind of death.

Black fire curved with every step, every flick of his wrist. Flames arced through the mist like scythes, slicing wolves in half, reducing monsters to soot and glowing embers.

One lunged from behind—he turned without looking.

*FWOOOOOSH...

Gone.

Another tried to retreat. He didn’t allow it.

With a wave of his hand, a ring of flame burst from the ground, enclosing the remaining monsters. The flames closed in slowly, like a vice.

They howled.

He didn’t blink.

His foot stepped forward—one, then two—and the ground erupted under his heel, a burst of pressure and heat flinging dirt and bone into the sky.

Within moments, there was nothing left but silence.

Ash. Smoke.

And him.

Han Yoohyun stood alone in the center of the ring, fire still licking at his arms. His breathing was steady. Not even a scratch on him.

The dungeon pulsed once.

Something deeper stirred.

“…That wasn’t the boss,” he muttered.

As if in answer, a scream echoed through the trees—low, guttural, wet.

The trees groaned.

Branches snapped as something enormous pushed its way through the dark.

The ground shook.

From the clearing emerged a creature stitched from sinew and bones. A massive chimera, with the body of a bear, the tails of serpents, and a skull mask that grinned wide over fleshless jaws.

Its aura weighed the air like drowning.

Yoohyun met its eyes. Slowly, he raised his hand.

The creature roared...

And Yoohyun charged.

They collided like two storms.

The chimera swung a massive limb—Yoohyun ducked low, flames blasting from his heels as he launched upward with inhuman speed. He struck the beast in the shoulder, fire bursting on contact, blowing apart muscle and bone.

It retaliated with a serpentine tail, catching Yoohyun midair.

He grunted as it slammed him into the ground.

*CRACK!!!

The earth split beneath him.

But before the tail could retreat, he grabbed it.

And ignited it from the inside.

The tail screamed as it burned upward, the flames chasing the nerves until they reached the core of the chimera’s back.

It bellowed, rearing up...

Too slow.

Yoohyun was already back on his feet.

He formed a long blade of fire, obsidian-edged and razor sharp.

One breath.

He leapt.

The chimera raised a claw to block.

The fire sliced through it.

And then again.

And again.

Yoohyun carved through it like reaping wheat, fire singing, body moving in a blur.

The chimera howled in pain.

It tried to run. He didn’t let it.

With a stomp, the ground beneath the monster erupted in flame, catching its legs and pulling it down.

Yoohyun landed atop its back, hand raised.

“Burn.”

And the entire forest lit up.

A column of fire roared into the sky, obliterating the beast in one final, blinding blast.

When it cleared, all that was left was smoke. Cinders. A hollow crater in the ground.

And him.

Standing. Alone.

Again.

The forest was ash. The dungeon portal behind him flickered, dimming like a dying star.

Han Yoohyun exhaled slowly, black flames retreating from his skin as if reluctantly.

Then—

*CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

A slow, mocking claps echoed through the clearing.

Yoohyun turned his head, eyes already narrowing.

“Bravo,” a voice drawled, thick with arrogance and amusement. “Flawless finish. No hesitation, no mercy. Just what we’d expect from the infamous Han Yoohyun.”

Three figures stood at the edge of the scorched clearing. All dressed in sleek combat gear bearing the Crimson Thorns insignia—a powerful and growing guild with whispers of government ties and underground influence.

“Yoohyun-ssi,” said the leader, a tall man with silver piercings and a dagger lazily twirling between his fingers. His voice was too smooth. Too practiced. “We’ve been watching you. Your recent dungeon clears have drawn quite the attention.”

Yoohyun didn't answer. He simply stared, his expression unreadable.

“You’re not registered under any guild. No handler. No territory. That’s a waste, don’t you think?” the man continued, smiling. “We’re here to offer you a place where your talents are appreciated—and properly rewarded.”

Yoohyun didn’t move.

The man’s grin widened. “And it’s not just about money, of course. You’d be under protection. We know about your brother. Yoojin, was it? We’d keep both of you safe. Imagine that.”

Yoohyun’s fingers twitched. A single wisp of black fire curled around his wrist.

The man either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “Join us. You’ll have authority. Power. And no more rats snooping around your little apartment.”

There was a silence. Then Yoohyun finally spoke. His voice was quiet. But laced with ice.

“Don’t say his name.”

The dagger in the man’s hand stilled mid-spin. “Ah. So sensitive. You really are close to your brother.”

Yoohyun took one step forward. Then another.

“I’m not interested,” he said flatly. “Leave.”

The second guild member, a woman with electric blue hair and twin pistols, stepped up beside her leader. “You’re wasting a huge opportunity. We’re not some third-rate gang, kid. Crimson Thorns is connected. We’re offering you a throne.”

Yoohyun stopped walking.

His eyes, now glowing faintly red, locked onto her.

“Then burn your throne.”

The leader’s smile slipped.

“Tch. Thought you'd be smarter than this,” he said, and in a flash, the dagger was no longer in his hand—it was flying toward Yoohyun.

But the dagger never reached him.

*CLANG!!!

A wall of black flame erupted midair, swallowing the weapon and melting it into slag before it hit the ground.

“I’ll count to three,” Yoohyun said calmly. “Then I’ll start cutting fingers.”

The third guild member, a bulky man with plated gauntlets, stepped forward with a snarl. “Little shit. You think you’re untouchable just because you’re an S-class?”

Yoohyun didn’t bother replying.

He simply moved.

One moment he was standing still.

The next, he was in front of the blue-haired woman.

She barely had time to raise her guns before Yoohyun’s hand snapped forward, grabbing her by the collar.

Her pistols ignited instantly, disintegrating in her hands.

She screamed—he threw her like a ragdoll into a scorched tree trunk.

*CRACKKKKK!!!

The trunk splintered.

The brute with gauntlets charged next, fist rearing back with the force of a freight train.

Yoohyun stepped to the side, letting the punch crash into the earth.

Then he placed one hand on the man's back—

And ignited.

The man roared in agony as flames consumed his armor, melting through steel like it was paper.

He dropped to the ground, rolling, but the fire clung like tar.

Yoohyun turned away.

Only the leader was left now.

The man raised both hands in mock surrender, but the twitch in his eye betrayed him.

“…You really don’t want to do this,” he said, backing away. “You kill guild members and they’ll come for you. All of them.”

“I didn’t kill anyone yet,” Yoohyun said flatly.

“But you will if I stay?” the man asked.

Yoohyun didn’t answer.

Instead, he raised his hand once more.

The man cursed and lunged forward, summoning his own power—a cascade of knives emerging from thin air like fangs.

He sent them all flying.

Yoohyun’s eyes narrowed.

A dome of black flame erupted around him, catching every single knife midair. Then the dome expanded—

*FWOOOOOSH!!

The blast wave of fire sent the leader flying.

He landed hard against a rock, gasping for breath, his body scorched and trembling.

Yoohyun approached slowly, fire still crackling around him like a living aura.

“You talk about safety,” he said quietly. “You talk about protecting my brother.”

He stopped just inches from the leader’s broken form.

“But I’ve seen the way you look at him. Like he’s a tool. Like he’s leverage.”

The leader couldn’t speak. His body was shaking too much.

“I’m not interested in your protection. I don’t need your authority. I don’t want your offers.”

He leaned in.

“I protect my brother. Not you. Not your guild. Me.”

Then, Yoohyun stood and turned away.

“You step near us again, and I won’t leave any bodies to bury.”

As he walked away from the smoking battlefield, the dungeon portal pulsed once behind him.

Yoohyun didn't look back. The wind carried embers around him like a storm.

Still burning.

Still alone.

And still protecting his brother—whatever it cost.

Chapter Text

Han Yoojin collapsed on his bunk after another grueling day of drills. The barracks buzzed with tired laughter and the clatter of boots, but Yoojin only heard his own thoughts screaming.

"That absolute brat. That goddamn punk. I'm gonna punch him with a ladle," he muttered into his pillow.

The soldier in the next bunk, Minjae, peeked over with a raised brow. "Talking to yourself again, Yoojin?"

"If I don't, I might blow up the mess hall," Yoojin grunted, rolling over. "The only thing holding me back is that it's got the only working heater."

He stared at the peeling paint on the ceiling. His breath slowed, and his body ached, but it was nothing compared to the dull throb in his chest.

Han Yoohyun.

He was on the news again. A new dungeon cleared. S-class monsters charred to ash. Solo run. No guild.

They called him the "Black Flame."

They didn’t call him fifteen anymore. They didn’t call him a boy.

And they sure as hell didn’t mention his brother.

Yoojin let out a dry laugh.

"Tch. Look at you now, you overgrown salamander. You think just 'cause you got magic hands and a new fanclub, you can ghost your own hyung?"

He remembered the first time he ever held Yoohyun.

It was winter. Cold. Their parents were fighting again. Their mother refused to even touch Yoohyun, whispering that he made the room feel wrong. Their father kept looking at the toddler like he was a cracked mirror.

Yoojin had been five.

He'd found Yoohyun crying on the porch, cheeks red from the wind.

"Don't cry," he’d said, bundling the baby in his own scarf.

"I'll take care of you. I promise."

From then on, Yoojin became the one to feed him. Bathe him. Carry him when he cried.

He remembered trying to mix formula with hot water and spilling it all over the counter. He remembered changing diapers by trial and error. He remembered reading baby books under the covers with a flashlight while his classmates talked about cartoons.

He remembered thinking, This must be what a parent feels like.

And Yoohyun—that strange, quiet little boy with unblinking eyes and a habit of clinging to Yoojin's sleeve-he trusted him.

Only him.

So how the hell did they get here?

Yoojin punched his pillow again.

"You're not even answering your phone!!

You little bastard!

I raised you with love and rice, you know!

Rice!!

You can’t ghost someone who used to wipe your ass!"

There were many people waiting to use the community phone.

He juggled the coins in his hand.

Then he dialed the familiar numbers.

He hit call.

It rang.

And rang.

Then went to voicemail.

"This is Yoohyun. I'm busy. Leave a message."

*Beep.

Yoojin inhaled. "Listen here, you overgrown gecko. If you don't call me back, I'm going to climb out of this goddamn base, walk barefoot through three dungeons, and tie you to a chair with seaweed. Got it?"

He hung up.

Then called again.

The letters hurt worse.

Each one was sealed carefully. Words written with shaky hands during midnight breaks. Folded with hope.

Each one returned.

Unopened.

Mocking.

"You think you’re so cool now, huh?! Just because you’ve got S-class on your status screen. You think that makes you better than your hyung? You think you can just...!"

He choked.

"You think you can just...

leave?"

He remembered the last birthday they celebrated.

Yoojin had worked three jobs. He lied to his boss at the convenience store just to get time off. He pawned his old phone for cash.

Bought cake. Got him a new pair of sport shoes.

Yoohyun had smiled.

Laughed.

Thanked him.

But even then, Yoojin had felt the cracks.

Yoohyun had grown distant. Quiet. He still smiled. Still obeyed. Still called him "hyung."

But something in the air shifted.

Like he was getting ready to leave.

And now here they were. Two years later. Yoojin in the military, doing push-ups until his arms gave out. Eating canned beans and powdered soup.

And Yoohyun?

He was slaying dungeon bosses.

Alone.

"You flaming shithead. I told you I’d take care of you. I swore it. Did you forget that? Was that not enough for you?"

He buried his face in his arms.

"You think I’m nothing now, don’t you? Just a useless F-class. Not even worth a goddamn reply."

The next morning, another letter came back.

Return to sender.

No forwarding address.

Yoojin stared at it. Then tore it in half.

"Fine," he whispered.

"You wanna play this game? Fine. But I swear, once I get out of here, I’m finding you. And when I do, I’m gonna dropkick your shiny S-class face."

He paused. Then added quietly...

"...and then I’ll make you soup."

That night, elsewhere...

Yoohyun sat in a dim room, hunched over his phone. His coat was still damp from the rain outside. His hands smelled faintly of smoke.

He unlocked the screen.

22 missed calls

14 voicemails

11 returned letters stacked in the corner

He stared at them.

He hadn’t opened a single one.

He was scared to.

Not because he didn’t care.

But because he cared too much.

Because every time he heard Yoojin’s voice, he wanted to run back.

Wanted to give up the whole plan. Wanted to be that fifteen-year-old again, sitting at the table while Yoojin served up burnt fish and instant noodles, laughing about rent.

But he couldn’t.

He was being hunted.

Guilds. Corporations. People who saw Yoojin as a weakness.

He had to sever the link.

Protect Yoojin by pretending he didn’t exist.

Yoohyun gripped his phone.

His hand trembled.

"...Hyung," he whispered.

"I’m sorry. Just a little longer. Let me clear the path first. Then I’ll come back."

His voice cracked.

"Please wait for me."

He stared at the screen, then turned the phone off.

And walked back into the night.

Chapter Text

Deep beneath the earth, inside a sprawling dungeon that pulsed with an unnatural heat, Han Yoohyun moved like a shadow. Monsters hissed in the distance, but the battle was long over. He wiped black fire from his blade and turned when he sensed someone approaching.

Seok Simyeong emerged from the darkness, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. "You’re hard to track," Simyeong said, stepping over the scorched remains of a fallen beast. "I almost thought you’d vanish for good."

Yoohyun lowered his sword slightly. "You’re persistent."

"Persistent enough to make a proposal," Seomyeong replied with a faint smile. "Open your own guild. Gather hunters under your banner. If you stand alone, every other guild will keep coming after you. But as a guild master, you set the terms. No one bothers you without consequence."

Yoohyun tilted his head, considering. "You think I haven’t thought of that? It’s been my plan from the beginning. I’ve been collecting information on the strongest hunters. Those worth recruiting."

Simyeong’s eyes brightened. "Then let me help. If you become the greatest guild leader in South Korea, the others will have no choice but to respect you."

"And what’s in it for you?" Yoohyun asked, his voice cold but curious.

"I’m not suited for battle," Simyeong admitted. "But I have an instinct for recognizing talent. My dream is to help create a great guild. One that stands above all others."

Yoohyun studied him for a long moment, the silence between them filled with the distant hum of dungeon energy.

Finally, he nodded once.

"Fine. We work together. But understand this... I don’t share control."

A thin smile crossed Seomyeong’s face.

"I wouldn’t have it any other way."

A year later,

Han Yoojin finally stepped out of the military gates after more than a year, the winter air sharp in his lungs. He adjusted the strap of his duffel bag and clenched his jaw.

The crowd of families and friends waiting for their soldiers barely registered to him. He had one thought, bright and singular: Find Yoohyun.

His phone was heavy in his pocket, but there was no new message from his younger brother. Not a single reply to all the calls, the letters, the careful notes sent through mutual acquaintances.

Nothing.

"You brat," Yoojin muttered under his breath, his voice low and raw.

"You think you can ignore me forever?

We’ll see about that."

On a bus rattling toward Seoul, Han Yoojin’s eyes slipped shut. The hum of the engine melted into a soundless cavern, humid and sweltering.

Heat crawled across his skin.

Not again.

A vision surged—dark rock slick with moisture, the air so thick it pressed against his lungs. Fire roared somewhere unseen.

And then—arms. He remembered holding someone, clutching a weight that mattered more than breath itself. A body, limp and cooling.

He remembered cradling it, screaming until his voice broke.

His brother’s face.

Pale.

Eyes closed.

“Nooo!” he gasped aloud, jerking upright. Commuters turned to stare.

The phantom scent of smoke lingered.

He shuddered, rubbing his arms as if to erase the memory.

'Was that the future? A warning?'

The thought hollowed him.

He had no choice... he had to find Yoohyun, to see him alive with his own eyes.

Some frantic certainty told him that if he lost contact now, he would lose his brother forever.

That night, back in his cramped apartment (that surprisingly been fixed), Yoojin leaned against a wall to steady himself—and the plaster caved in with a sharp crack. He stumbled back, heart hammering.

“…Again?”

The faint system window flickered before his eyes, text stuttering like a bad signal.

“Great,” he muttered. “Now you’re broken too.”

The burn inside his chest pulsed in reply.

He packed a small bag, jaw set.

“Fine, Yoohyun. Ignore my calls, toss my letters. But you don’t get to disappear.”

His voice softened, almost pleading despite the curse that followed. “You reckless little punk. I raised you. You don’t get to die on me.”

Outside, the city lights blurred like sparks on black water. Somewhere in the maze of dungeons and guild halls, his brother was alive. Yoojin could feel it. He had to believe it.

And he would find him.

Han Yoojin still couldn’t find his brother.

He knocked on neighbors’ doors, called up old co-workers, even tracked down a few of Yoohyun’s school friends. No one knew where the boy lived now.

What they did know, they shared with starry eyes.

“Your brother’s incredible! Clearing loose dungeons, cutting down monsters like nothing!”

“An S-rank prodigy. We always knew he had something special.”

Their sudden admiration only sharpened Yoojin’s frustration. These were the same people who once looked through Yoohyun like he was a shadow.

Every trail ended the same way.

“He doesn’t stay anywhere long,” one contact said.

“Always hunting, always leveling. Quit school ages ago... went completely rogue,” another added.

With no leads left, Yoojin turned to the only place still open: the internet.

During service his phone had been locked away, available only in short, supervised windows. Now, scrolling freely for the first time in months, he felt each headline hit like a blow.

Han Yoohyun: Youngest S-Rank in South Korea
Guilds Compete—and Clash!—for the Black Flame Hunter

But the line that stopped him cold was buried halfway down a newer article:

Haeyeon Guild Founded by Prodigy Han Yoohyun

Not only a hunter... his little brother had built a guild while Yoojin was slogging through military drills. Haeyeon Guild was still young, but already whispered about as a powerhouse, gathering elite talent and challenging the much older guilds.

Yoojin stared at the glowing screen, heart hammering. Pride warred with disbelief.

“My baby brother… a guild master,” he muttered.

Overwhelmed, he thumbed his brother’s number and pressed call.

*Ring.

*Ring.

*Ring.

Voicemail.

He tried again.

And again.

Still nothing.

In a quiet corner of an office, Han Yoohyun stand alone, a faint glow from his phone casting light across his face. The screen showed a call coming from somebody.

Hyung.

He muted his phone, since long ago. Just letting it vibrated, without any intention of picking up the call. His thumb hovering over the call button. For a moment, his expression softened. But then he closed the device with a quiet click, the shadows of the office swallowing him once more.

"Not yet," he murmured to the darkness. "Not until it’s safe."

Chapter Text

Kim Sunghan still wasn’t used to the quiet power of the Haeyeon Guild’s main office.

The polished glass walls and the faint hum of mana detectors were a far cry from the cramped, half-lit quarters of his old guild - a guild that had treated him like a disposable shield.

He owed everything to Han Yoohyun.

Sunghan remembered that first dungeon run as vividly as the scars on his forearms: the young S-rank cutting through the chaos with a voice that was steady and sure, giving precise orders while parrying a monster’s strike that would have crushed Sunghan’s ribs. There had been no arrogance, only a fierce focus and a kind of honor he hadn’t thought possible among hunters.

That memory made today’s meeting feel heavier.

Across the wide desk, Seok Simyeong stood with his usual stern expression, a thin stack of papers in his hand.

“These came in from our external liaisons,” he said, sliding them toward the guild leader.

Yoohyun barely glanced up from the map of a newly discovered dungeon. “What is it?”

“It concerns your brother,” Simyeong replied.

The name alone tightened the air. Sunghan kept his eyes lowered, though curiosity sparked.

Everyone in the guild had heard the rumors - the older brother who’d raised the prodigy, and the whispered story of abandonment that tabloids were beginning to savor.

Simyeong’s voice stayed calm but carried an edge. “Reports say Han Yoojin has been asking around the city, looking for you. Neighbors, former co-workers... he’s persistent. Some of the press are framing it as you… refusing contact. I’m worried it could stain Haeyeon’s reputation.”

Sunghan risked a glance. Yoohyun’s face revealed nothing.

“I don’t mean to pry,” Simyeong added, “but if this relationship is strained, the public may assume the worst. We should decide how to respond.”

Silence stretched. The clock on the wall ticked, steady as a heartbeat.

At last Yoohyun reached for the papers. He skimmed them, eyes moving quickly but without a flicker of emotion. Then he set them on the desk, conjured a faint black flame between his fingers, and let it lick the edges of the documents until they curled to ash.

“We ignore it,” he said.

Simyeong hesitated. “Guild Leader...”

“Haeyeon will stand on strength and results. Let people talk. They’ll forget when the next dungeon breaks.” His voice was soft but final.

Kim Sunghan felt the quiet weight of the words. Whatever lay between the brothers was a wall even Seok Simyeong wouldn’t climb.

Han Yoojin pressed his phone tighter against his ear, the endless ring tone gnawing at his patience.
Again... no answer.

He ended the call and exhaled hard. The screen still glowed with his brother’s name.

For weeks he’d been searching.

Everyone gave the same answers: no idea where he’s staying… busy hunting… doesn’t stick to one place.

But their eyes had changed.

People who once dismissed the quiet, strange kid now spoke of him with sudden awe.

“A real prodigy,” they’d say.

“Fights rogue monsters like nothing.”

“You’re lucky to be his brother.”

Lucky. Yoojin almost laughed at that.

Yoojin looked again at his brother's pictures on the internet: his brother in a dark combat coat, flames licking the air behind him, reporters shouting his name. Each image tightened the knot in Yoojin’s chest.

“Of course you went and built a damn guild while I was gone,” he muttered. “Couldn’t wait for your useless hyung, huh?”

He tossed the phone onto the table, but it buzzed again with more notifications - articles, fan posts, recruitment rumors. The world couldn’t stop talking about Han Yoohyun.

The world, but not his brother.

Yoojin rubbed his eyes and forced himself to breathe.
Three days, he thought, staring at the calendar. His birthday. My brat’s birthday.

Memories came unbidden: a scrawny child clinging to him on cold nights, the weight of a feverish little body when their parents had long since given up. He had bathed him, fed him, whispered stories until dawn. Yoohyun had been more son than brother.

And now he was… what? A celebrity hunter who couldn’t even answer a call.

“Fine,” Yoojin said aloud to the empty room. “If the great Guild Leader won’t come to me, I’ll go to him.”

He opened a notebook and began scribbling plans: a small cake -maybe chocolate this time- a pot of seaweed soup like every year. He could still hear his brother’s teasing voice from childhood: Hyung, you burned it again.

The thought pulled a reluctant smile from him.

But beneath the small warmth ran a pulse of worry, a fear he refused to name.

Too many nights lately he’d jolted awake from strange visions: a dark, humid cave, heat pressing against his skin, the sound of fire and a scream tearing his throat. In those dreams he was cradling someone -someone dear- whose body had gone cold. He always woke before he saw the face, but he knew.

He knew it was Yoohyun.

Yoojin shuddered, pressing a hand to his chest.

'No. He’s alive. He’s alive and he’s going to eat the damn soup whether he likes it or not.'

He grabbed his phone again and typed a message, fingers stiff.

Yoohyun-ah, birthday soon. Want seaweed soup? Maybe a cake?
Hyung still remembers how, even if it’s lopsided.

He hesitated, then added:

 

Call me back, brat.

Send.

The message went through with a cheerful chime that only deepened the silence of the room.

Yoojin stared at the screen, at the unread ticks, and whispered to the air,

“You can conquer every dungeon in the country, you little punk, but you can’t hide from me forever.”

He set the phone down beside the small framed photo of them as children - Yoohyun perched on his shoulders, both of them grinning through chipped teeth and second-hand clothes.

“Happy birthday in advance, kid,” he murmured.

“Your hyung’s coming to find you.”

Chapter Text

Han Yoojin had never imagined he’d be standing in front of a building this tall with his brother’s name stamped on it.
Haeyeon Guild Headquarters.

The letters gleamed across the polished glass like a declaration to the world. His little brother’s world now. The automatic doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a lobby so pristine it almost hurt to look at.

Marble floors.
A chandelier that probably cost more than all the money Yoojin had saved in years of part-time work.

He clutched the box in his hands a little tighter. The ribbon on top was crooked. The cake inside wasn’t much... homemade, slightly uneven. But it smelled sweet and familiar.

A birthday cake. Just like every year.

He took a deep breath and walked to the front desk.

“Uh… excuse me,” he said, trying not to sound too awkward. “I... I’m here to see Han Yoohyun.”

The young woman behind the reception counter blinked at him. She had the polished, professional look of someone who handled hunters and investors daily, not nervous older brothers clutching bakery boxes.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said, her tone polite but unsure. “Do you have an appointment with the Guild Leader?”

“Appointment?” Yoojin frowned. “I’m his brother.”

The receptionist hesitated, eyes darting to the box in his hands, then back to his face. “Ah… you’re his... uh... relative?”

“Older brother,” he said firmly. “Han Yoojin. I just want to see him for a bit. It’s his birthday.”

Her polite smile wavered. “Please wait a moment, sir.”

She made a quick call, whispering into her headset, her expression growing increasingly uncertain. Then she glanced back at him, clearly unsure what to do. “Someone will come down to speak with you shortly.”

Yoojin sighed and nodded, retreating to a nearby bench in the lobby. He could feel the stares... some curious, some wary. Maybe they were wondering why a man in worn clothes and army boots was holding a cake in a box with slightly smudged icing.

After a few minutes, the elevator chimed open.

A tall man in a crisp suit stepped out, his expression calm but unreadable. His sharp features softened only slightly when he saw Yoojin.

“Mr. Han Yoojin?” he asked.

Yoojin stood up quickly. “Yes. That’s me.”

The man approached, extending a hand. “I’m Seok Simyeong, deputy leader of Haeyeon Guild.” His tone was courteous, but there was a weight behind it; a cautious professionalism. “The receptionist called me down. You said you’re the Guild Leader’s brother?”

“Yes,” Yoojin said, gripping the box tighter. “You might not know me, but I’m actually Yoohyun’s older brother. I came here just to meet him for a while.”

Simyeong nodded slowly, studying him for a moment before his gaze drifted toward the box. “May I ask… what did you bring with you?”

Yoojin blinked, then gave a sheepish smile. “Ah, this? It’s just… a small birthday cake. Nothing fancy.”

“I see.”

“I, uh, just got out of the military,” Yoojin continued, trying to fill the silence. “Haven’t seen him since before I enlisted. I wanted to surprise him, maybe share a meal. I didn’t even know he made his own guild until recently.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Guess my kid brother’s become someone important.”

Something flickered in Seok Simyeong’s expression, something between sympathy and restraint. He clasped his hands together and said gently, “Mr. Han… the Guild Leader isn’t here right now.”

Yoojin froze. “He’s… not here?”

“No. He entered a dungeon this morning with an A-rank team. It wasn’t scheduled for visitors’ notice.”

“Oh.” Yoojin stared at the box in his hands, his throat tightening. “Right. Of course. Hunters’ work never ends, huh?” He tried to smile, but it came out crooked. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

“It depends on the dungeon’s rank and condition,” Simyeong said carefully. “Could be hours, or a few days. I’m afraid there’s no exact time.”

“I see.”

The silence stretched for a moment. Around them, guild staff passed by, their conversations low and brisk. Yoojin felt suddenly out of place... a man clinging to an old bond in a world that had already moved on.

Simyeong cleared his throat. “If you’d like, I can inform him you came by. I’ll make sure your message reaches him directly.”

Yoojin shook his head. “No, it’s fine. He’s busy. I just thought…” His voice faltered for a moment. “I thought maybe I could see him, that’s all.”

He set the box down on the counter carefully. “If you could… give this to him when he returns?”

Simyeong nodded. “Of course.”

Yoojin forced a smile and stepped back. “Thank you. Tell him... tell him his hyung dropped by. He’ll know.”

He turned to leave, but before he reached the door, Simyeong’s voice stopped him.

“Mr. Han,” a calm voice called.

Yoojin turned around. Seok Simyeong was standing there, hands clasped neatly behind his back, his expression unreadable.

“If you don’t mind,” Simyeong said, “there’s something I’d like to discuss. Please, follow me.”

There was no warmth in his tone... only formality.

Yoojin followed him down the corridor, past rows of glass offices and framed guild certifications, until they reached a quiet meeting room. Simyeong gestured for him to sit. The room was tidy, minimal, like the man himself.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Simyeong began, his voice measured.
“Mr. Han… do you truly understand your brother’s position?”

Yoojin frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Han Yoohyun,” Simyeong said, leaning slightly forward, “is on his way to becoming one of the most influential guild leaders in South Korea. Every major guild is watching Haeyeon right now. Every move, every statement, every association. The spotlight is bright, and the scrutiny is constant.”

He paused, gauging Yoojin’s reaction before continuing.

“With all the power and reach the Haeyeon Guild currently possesses… have you ever wondered why your brother hasn’t reached out to you?”

Yoojin’s eyes darkened. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, his voice tight.

Simyeong didn’t flinch. “I’m not here to interfere with family matters. But from a professional standpoint, there must be a reason the Guild Leader hasn’t contacted you. The truth is, we were aware of your attempts to locate him. Your inquiries to neighbors, your questions to his acquaintances, your recent activity online.”

Yoojin’s jaw clenched.

“That kind of behavior,” Simyeong continued evenly, “draws attention. People talk. They speculate. And in the current environment, where the Han brothers are becoming a subject of interest… speculation could turn into rumor. Rumors could turn into damage. To both the Guild Leader... and the guild itself.”

The room grew heavy with silence.

Yoojin’s hands curled into fists on the table, fingernails biting into his palms until he felt the crescent-shaped indentations form. His breathing quickened. “So that’s what this is about? You think I’m some kind of liability?”

“That’s not what I said,” Simyeong replied smoothly. “I’m only suggesting you consider how your actions appear from an outsider’s perspective.”

“From an outsider’s...?” Yoojin let out a bitter laugh. “He’s my brother. My family. I came because I missed him. Because it’s his damn birthday. And you’re telling me this like I’m some kind of stranger?”

Simyeong’s expression remained impassive. “Perhaps. But the Guild Leader clearly doesn’t feel the same. He left for the dungeon voluntarily this morning, even though another A-class unit was fully prepared to go in his stead.”

Yoojin’s heart skipped. “What are you saying?”

Simyeong folded his hands, gaze unwavering.

Yoojin’s voice dropped, almost a whisper. “Are you saying he purposely avoided meeting me?”

No answer. But the silence... and the way Simyeong’s eyes flickered away... said enough.

Yoojin’s pulse pounded in his ears. His throat tightened, and the air in the room felt thick, suffocating.

The faint hum of the air conditioning couldn’t cool the rising heat in his body.

He pushed his chair back abruptly, the legs scraping sharply against the floor.

“I see,” he muttered. “Thanks for the honesty.”

He straightened his coat, his jaw set in restrained fury. “Tell your Guild Leader that I’ll come again next time... when he actually has the guts to see me.”

Without waiting for a reply, Yoojin strode toward the door.

As he stepped out, his hand trembled, not from fear, but from the effort of holding everything in. The moment the door closed behind him, the lights above flickered briefly, as if reacting to a surge in the air.

Inside the room, Seok Simyeong sat still, eyes narrowed slightly in thought. Then, quietly, he exhaled and murmured, “So that’s the kind of older brother he is.”

Outside, the wind felt colder than before.

He looked down at his empty hands, at the faint scent of frosting still lingering on his fingers. “You’d better eat that cake, brat,” he muttered under his breath. “If I find out you didn’t, I’m gonna punch you right in that famous face of yours.”

Chapter Text

The dungeon gate finally collapsed behind them with a sound like shattering glass. The air warped, mana fading into thin wisps that brushed against armor and cloth before dissolving into nothing.

Han Yoohyun walked out first, coat torn at the sleeve, a smear of black blood along his wrist. Behind him, Kim Sunghan, Minyui Kim, and the rest of the A-class strike team followed in silence. The scent of ozone clung to them... the lingering mark of an A-class clearing.

The sun outside was blinding. Reporters had already gathered behind the security barricades, their microphones flashing with logos of news stations and guild channels.

“Guild Leader Han!” one shouted the moment he appeared. “Was the dungeon successfully cleared?”

“What kind of monsters did you face this time?”

“Rumor has it you used your flame skill to finish off the boss in a swift! Is that true?”

Yoohyun didn’t even turn his head.

His stride was steady, expression detached.

Too calm, almost unnatural.

It was the calm of someone who had learned that emotions only made people weaker.

Minyui stepped forward in his place, tone sharp but polite. “Haeyeon Guild completed the raid without casualties. No comment on further operations. Please clear the path.”

Reporters still shouted questions, their voices overlapping into a storm of noise. Sunghan placed a firm arm in front of them, subtly using his defensive aura to form a wall of pressure that pushed the crowd back.

Yoohyun went out of the range without saying a word. Only then did he pull out his phone.

There were twenty-three missed calls. All from the same number.

Hyung.

He hesitated before unlocking it, just a second, but enough for Kim Sunghan to notice.

The first message blinked up, timestamped five days ago.

[Hyung]: Hey, brat. Heard your birthday’s coming up. You better not be celebrating without me.

…Anyway, I’m baking something. Don’t laugh.

And no, you can’t complain if it turns out ugly. It’s edible love, damn it.

Yoohyun’s thumb hovered.

[Hyung]: I tried calling you earlier. Guess you’re busy fighting monsters or being dramatic somewhere. Call me back, okay? Just for a minute.

Then another, the next day.

[Hyung]: So you’re ignoring my calls now? Wow. Our little prodigy’s all grown up, huh?

You think being a guild leader means you can ghost your hyung? I used to wipe your nose, kid. Don’t test me.

By the third day, the tone shifted.

[Hyung]: I stopped by your guild today. Some guy with a face like an accountant told me you were in a dungeon.

I brought cake.

Seaweed soup too, just like mom never made. 

You missed it, dumbass. I’ll come again. Don’t make me chase you down.

Then...

[Hyung]: Are you really not going to pick up?

Do you hate me that much now?

The next few were shorter, hurried, sent hours apart.

[Hyung]: Happy birthday.
[Hyung]: I hope you’re safe.
[Hyung]: Why aren’t you answering?
[Hyung]: Damn it, Yoohyun.

Then came one with a voice message attached.
Yoohyun pressed play.

“Yoohyun-ah…” The voice was soft at first, almost embarrassed. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’m not mad. Not really. Just... you disappeared, you know? No word, no message, nothing.

And I’m your brother, damn it. I’m supposed to know if you’re alive.”

A pause.

“I don’t care about the guild or the rankings or whatever crap people are saying about you. You’re still that kid who used to follow me around with his blanket and ask if I’d leave too. Remember that?
…
So what’s this now? Why are you leaving me? Huh?”

The next message was louder, a little cracked.

“Fine.

You’re busy. But if you don’t call me back, I’ll just camp in front of your guild.

Don’t think I won’t, you little bastard.”

Then another voice message -- quieter, trembling at the end.

“Please… just pick up.”

Yoohyun’s screen dimmed before he realized he’d stopped breathing.

A new message blinked below all the rest, from Seok Simyeong.

[Image attachment]
“Your brother came to the guild with this.”

The image loaded... a small cake, slightly uneven, the frosting sliding to one side.
Blue candles. Chocolate glaze. “Happy Birthday Yoohyun” scrawled in handwriting he hadn’t seen in years.

Another message followed.

“Preserved with D-grade temporal stasis item. Still intact. Recommend disposal if you’re not taking it back.”

Yoohyun’s jaw clenched. His reflection in the dark phone screen looked distant, almost unrecognizable.

“Guild leader?” Sunghan asked softly beside him.

Han Yoohyun didn’t answer. His voice, when it finally came, was quiet.
“Bring the car.”

Kim Sunghan blinked. “The press...!”

“Handle them.”

The tone left no room for discussion.

KIm Sunghan hesitated, then nodded and jogged off toward the vehicles. The other A-class hunters began fielding the reporters in his stead.

Yoohyun stood there for a long moment, phone still in hand, the message thread open. His thumb hovered over Han Yoojin’s contact.

He could call.
He could send one word.

But the weight of everything around him... Haeyeon Guild, the press, the eyes of the world... pressed down too heavily.

If he reached out now, it wouldn’t just be between them anymore.

It would become news.
Speculation.
A weapon.

So he slipped the phone back into his pocket, expression unreadable once more.

The wind outside the Haeyeon Guild headquarters was sharp that night.

Han Yoojin huddled near the corner of the building, coat pulled tight, a cap and sunglasses disguising him enough that the passing guards didn’t pay attention. He’d been there for hours already; long enough for the coffee in his hands to go cold.

His phone screen was open on a live news stream.

Reporters were still clustered around a cordoned-off area near a collapsed dungeon gate. The image zoomed in briefly, catching a glimpse of Han Yoohyun; tall, expressionless, the picture of composure.

Yoojin exhaled sharply. “So you can face monsters but not your own brother, huh?”

He laughed once, bitterly. “You really outdid yourself, kid.”

He rubbed his hands together for warmth. The sky had turned pale grey, and the streetlights reflected faint halos in puddles near the curb.

If only Yoohyun saw him now... standing in the cold, waiting like some obsessed fan instead of family.
But he couldn’t go home. Not yet.

He just wanted to see his brother.
To confirm he was still human underneath all that fame.

Yoohyun stood atop the adjacent rooftop, watching.

The wind tugged at his coat, carrying the faint hum of city noise upward.
Down below, Han Yoojin shifted from foot to foot, breath visible in the cold.

“Guild leader,” Sunghan said carefully, having followed his silent command earlier. “Should I… get him?”

“No,” Yoohyun replied. His gaze didn’t waver.

Sunghan frowned slightly. “Then why are we...?”

“From now on,” Yoohyun interrupted, “you’ll guard him.”

“…Sir?”

“You’ll watch over him. Quietly. No contact unless necessary.”

Sunghan’s confusion was obvious. “But I’m a defense hunter. You need me in...!”

Yoohyun turned his eyes toward him. That single look was enough to silence any protest.

Sunghan swallowed. “…Understood.”

“There will be others assigned to rotate,” Yoohyun continued, still watching the man below. “Make sure he’s never alone at night. And keep outsiders away.”

Sunghan hesitated, then nodded.

He glanced down at Yoojin, who was now pacing near the corner, trying to warm his hands by rubbing them together.

“Guild leader…” Sunghan said quietly, almost tentative. “He looks… cold.”

Yoohyun didn’t respond. His fingers curled slightly at his side.

“Maintain distance,” he said finally. “He doesn’t need to know.”

Then he turned away, leaving the rooftop.

Sunghan lingered a moment longer, watching as the older brother stood waiting under the flickering streetlight... alone, exhausted, and unaware that his every step was already being shadowed by the most powerful man in the country.