# Chapter 111
Sano had clearly made up a ridiculous excuse about repaying a debt to Iyeon, saying he would stay until they found Morpho’s remains. And he kept his word. Since moving into Iyeon’s house—except for their vacation together—he hadn’t stayed out overnight even once.
‘Come to think of it, when have I ever understood his reasons…’
Looking back, Sano’s behavior had always been unpredictable. At their first meeting, he threatened to kill Iyeon, then suddenly changed his attitude saying he needed to repay a debt. While pretending not to care, he would subtly accommodate Iyeon, surprisingly diligently helping with work, and even becoming somewhat kinder after confessing his identity. Almost like returning to how things were 10 years ago.
Then the day before yesterday, he put on that fake dating act, yesterday he ignored Iyeon completely, and today he disappeared entirely. Iyeon couldn’t even begin to guess what went through Sano’s mind. At least he had contacted Jonghee, which was some relief…
“Did he say when he’d be coming home or anything like that?”
“He didn’t mention anything about that, sir.”
If ignoring people who were waiting for him was typical Sano behavior, then this was certainly on brand. I’m in for a surprise. Iyeon pouted. Well, he figured Sano would be back sometime today. Sano had never stayed out all night before, and he usually showed his face within 24 hours.
When he returns, I’ll tell him to give me a call before disappearing. And as his boss, I should lecture him about how unauthorized absences harm society… As his anxiety eased, his attitude quickly became more casual.
Eventually, when Iyeon answered a question about Sano’s phone case by saying it had cubic hearts on it, people seemed to notice that Iyeon had grown tired of the questions. When people frowned and expressed their dissatisfaction, rather than feeling intimidated, Iyeon irritated them further with responses like, “Check it out for yourself later.”
The meeting room atmosphere was growing increasingly hostile until Seohyun raised a hand to calm everyone down. The room finally quieted, and all eyes turned to Seohyun.
“I think your curiosities have been mostly satisfied, so let’s stop tormenting Jung Iyeon-ssi.”
“Tormenting…?”
“Ahem, that’s a bit…”
“But he’s not answering properly! Cubic hearts, seriously?”
Finally, the stalker crowd seemed to regain their senses, clearing their throats repeatedly and shifting to a solemn atmosphere. Only then did Iyeon realize that the people gathered here weren’t just ordinary employees.
“Thank you for your time. Let’s all get back to work.”
When Seohyun stood up and said that, the others also rose one by one and left the meeting room. Soon only Iyeon, Seohyun, Jongchan, and Jonghee remained in the spacious room. Seohyun bowed slightly to Iyeon.
“I apologize for the rudeness at our first meeting.”
“No, it’s fine… I’ve experienced this before.”
When Iyeon glanced at Jongchan while answering, Jongchan bristled.
“What? Why are you looking at me?”
Seohyun seemed to understand perfectly and continued with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Everyone is intensely interested in Sano-nim. They haven’t heard news about him in quite a while…”
“Do people usually… respect Je Sano this way?”
It was bizarre popularity for someone who was merely a company executive. More like an idol than a boss. No, judging by how they behaved, it seemed even more unsettling…
“Do you know how Kim Jongchan-ssi and Kim Jonghee-ssi came to join Jesan?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve heard roughly about it.”
When the Superpower Management Office was focusing on cracking down on illegal research facilities, Sano had taken the lead, Iyeon had been told. And they were people who had been rescued during that time.
Considering Sano’s childhood, it made sense that he would harbor deep hatred for illegal research facilities. After all, he had nearly died because of one.
“I’m a victim too.”
“…Pardon?”
“Among the people Sano-nim rescued, I was one of them.”
“I was probably the first,” he added, his voice calm but carrying significant weight. The research facility where Seohyun had been held was Sano’s first assignment when he participated in the crackdown on illegal research facilities.
“But Moon Seohyun… President, I understand you’re a Mugunghwa Tier 3. How…?”
Confused, Iyeon asked, and Seohyun laughed self-deprecatingly.
“It’s always about money, isn’t it?”
It was a common story, enough to make one sigh. One day, thugs broke into his home with a promissory note from his father who had disappeared years ago. The amount was overwhelming even for Seohyun, who was a powerful hunter living comfortably.
When Seohyun protested that it was absurd, they offered to let him pay off the debt by “borrowing” his abilities for a certain period. Looking back, it was an outrageous proposition, but there was no defense against threats to family members.
That’s how he was taken to an illegal research facility.
“They really worked people to death, endlessly.”
The researchers always demanded that Seohyun use his superpowers to their limits, driving people with brutal schedules. Unable to rest properly, his gi-ryeok couldn’t recharge properly, and eventually, he could only use very weak abilities equivalent to Tier 1 or 2, which could barely make a scratch on a wall.
In the end, he became too powerless even to attempt an escape. He was completely helpless.
“At that time, I truly thought my superpower had completely disappeared.”
It didn’t take long to fall into despair. He couldn’t tell what day it was or how much time had passed. In that prison-like place where light barely entered, he withered away day by day. He resigned himself to the thought that even if he rotted there forever, no one would know.
Then a hero appeared.
When he made eye contact with the man who strode in after effortlessly breaking down the damp, solid wall that Seohyun couldn’t destroy no matter how hard he tried, Seohyun thought he was dreaming. The man was so unrealistically handsome that it felt like a fantasy. As he listlessly watched the handsome eyes twist slightly in displeasure, suddenly his body was wrapped in something like a rope and lifted.
“And that’s how I was rescued.”
While being cared for by the rescue team that arrived afterward, Seohyun was barely able to grasp the situation. The Superpower Management Office had discovered and raided the illegal research facility where he was imprisoned. In the process, Seohyun was rescued. He managed to find out the name of the handsome man who saved him by asking around. Je Sano. Mugunghwa Tier 5, ranked first in the country.
As soon as he was able to recover, Seohyun sought out Sano. Actually, finding Sano’s whereabouts was quite difficult. Despite his reputation, there was very little public information about him, and few people knew him.
After extensive networking and inquiries, he finally learned that Sano was eating at the Superpower Management Office cafeteria at that time, and he rushed there immediately. The cafeteria was large, but it wasn’t difficult to find the person who had rescued him. He could recognize him at a glance.
Standing before his benefactor, Seohyun steadied his trembling body and bowed his head. He said thank you for saving him, that he owed his life to him. But the response to his sincere greeting was cold.
‘Don’t bother me with that stuff while I’m eating.’
It was beyond casual to the point of being arrogant. The attitude that showed complete disinterest in whether someone lived or died because of him shocked Seohyun. The Sano he met again seemed nothing like the hero who had saved him. He didn’t even remember that Seohyun was one of the people he had rescued!
Does he have a twin? The discrepancy was so great that Seohyun had such a ridiculous thought.
Of course, since the crackdown on illegal research facilities was a government-led project, it could be viewed as an extension of a mission rather than pure goodwill. But to Seohyun, Sano went beyond that level. He truly seemed like someone who didn’t care whether Seohyun lived or died.
No matter how much he had saved him, such a terrible attitude would naturally upset anyone. Seohyun raised his voice and demanded to know why Sano had saved him if he was going to let him die anyway. Sano glanced at Seohyun and replied in a voice unchanged from before.
‘Just because.’
‘…’
‘I just saved you.’
Did he need another reason? Sano’s eyes seemed to ask. His dark pupils were very calm and clear. Seohyun forgot his anger and stared at him blankly.
“He was exactly the same a few years ago…”
Iyeon clicked his tongue as he listened to the story. Saying “just because” to someone who nearly died—it wasn’t even teasing… He deserved a slap on the back for that. Seohyun smiled slightly at Iyeon’s criticism.
“I actually liked that answer.”
“Why?”
“Because it felt like Sano-nim’s essence.”
Just because, without any reason or reward. That answer remained deep in Seohyun’s heart.
“Actually, I was planning to quit being a hunter.”
After his imprisonment, the sensation of having his formerly free-flowing superpower blocked became a kind of trauma for him. He no longer wanted a job that involved using superpowers. He wanted to live a normal life.
But after seeing Sano, it seemed like he could be okay.
He wanted to be like Sano.
But that’s easier said than done; it was difficult to actually become like him. Seohyun was strong, but not as strong as Sano. It was impossible to do things exactly the same way Sano did.
So Seohyun decided to establish a company.
“That’s Jesan.”
On the day the business registration was completed, Seohyun went to Sano and handed him the documents. When Sano saw the company name “Jesan” written on it, his eyes hardened menacingly.
‘What is this?’
Seohyun had now become immune to his fierce voice. He smiled confidently and declared:
‘Just wait and see. I’ll create a company just like you, Sano-nim.’
‘You blatantly stole my name and have the nerve to make excuses.’
‘I told you to wait and see.’
Thanks to the connections Seohyun had built during his hunter activities, and because the company name so closely resembled Je Sano, it wasn’t difficult to establish a respectable company. About a month after he started running this small company, Sano visited.
With a couple of people trailing behind him.
