Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character-Chapter 273

They... weren’t biological brothers?

And they first met in the lab?

Kwon Taehyuk, caught between shock and confusion, raised a hand to cover his mouth. He didn’t trust himself to keep a straight face.

He even felt betrayed, which only made it harder to speak.

Of course, he knew that the emotion he was feeling wasn’t exactly rational. So he tried to hide his face as best he could and kept silent, not wanting to let Seohu notice anything strange.

“J-just a moment.”

Song Jiwoon, just as visibly startled, suddenly pointed at something—or rather, someone. His fingertip landed on Eun Woojeong, sitting there confidently as if he belonged.

“Who is he, and... is he really supposed to be hearing this?”

“Ah.”

Only then did it hit Cha Seohu.

‘Right. Jiwoon’s never met Eun Woojeong before.’

He’d forgotten. Technically, it should’ve been current guildmaster Song Jiwoon’s job to say something in a situation like this.

‘Then again, that so-called god or system admin already knows everything anyway.’

So it was only natural for Jiwoon to be confused. Honestly, Kwon Taehyuk and Ryu Sunghyun also seemed unsure about Eun Woojeong’s presence here.

‘Knew this would happen.’

Seohu turned toward Eun Woojeong.

His glare made it clear: “You followed me here, so you deal with it.” Eun Woojeong only smiled and began speaking.

“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I’ve known Guildmaster Kwon for a while, and I got acquainted with Vice-Guildmaster Ryu during the Gyeongbokgung incident—but more importantly, I have a deeper connection with Hunter Cha Seohu.”

“With Hunter Cha Seohu?”

“Yes. We share {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} a secret.”

“A... secret?”

This time it wasn’t Jiwoon but Kwon Taehyuk who cut in, his tone sharper than usual.

He was already on edge after hearing that Seohu and Sahyeon weren’t blood-related. Now his gaze narrowed even further.

“Mr. Eun Woojeong, didn’t you and Hunter Cha Seohu first meet during the Uidong Rift incident? I recall being the one to introduce you both.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, I’m remembering that day more clearly.”

Despite the confrontational tone, Eun Woojeong kept smiling pleasantly.

“We did meet for the first time that day. But after a brief conversation, I found Hunter Cha Seohu to have a great personality—we got along really well! So we exchanged numbers and kept in touch. I’ve always had a deep interest in Hunters, you see. You understand, right?”

“...I wasn’t aware you two had continued contacting each other. What’s the secret you’re referring to?”

“Well, if I told you here, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?”

Blinking as if debating, Eun Woojeong added lightly,

“If I were to give just a small hint—it’s related to Hunter Cha Seohu’s family. That much is okay to say, right, Hunter Cha Seohu?”

He even winked playfully as he turned toward Seohu.

‘This bastard...’

Seohu couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Eun Woojeong was clearly referencing “Cover” and hinting at some kind of familial relationship.

The ridiculous part was that, intentional or not, the explanation made perfect sense to the three S-ranks in the room.

‘Because all three of them have been to the district.’

They’d all seen firsthand just how twisted his upbringing had been. They also knew how reluctant he was to talk about the “siblings” or “Director Seo.”

Eun Woojeong, under the false impression that Cover was Seohu’s real sibling, brought up “family” as a vague keyword—but the S-ranks all interpreted it very differently.

Sympathy spread across their faces as they looked at Seohu. Even Kwon Taehyuk, who’d been aggressively questioning them, had visibly relaxed.

‘So... he finally opened up about his family, and to Eun Woojeong of all people...’

‘If he shared even that much about his family, then they must be really close.’

‘Yeah. If Seohu felt uncomfortable, he wouldn’t have brought him here. He must really trust him.’

The current topic—Sahyeon not being his real brother—only reinforced that line of thought. There was no reason to oppose it now.

As the three of them silently accepted the story, Eun Woojeong gave a soft, fake sigh as if moved.

“And... while Hunter Cha Seohu is staying safely with Yesung now, he used to live in a run-down building with his younger brother, right? Back then, whenever he needed help or was going through something tough, he’d always talk to me. I helped him a lot. That’s how we became close.”

“...?”

What the hell is he talking about?

Cha Seohu stared at him with a dead expression. Even the usually passive Cha Sahyeon next to him looked at Eun Woojeong like he’d lost his mind.

And right at that moment, Kwon Taehyuk suddenly raised his voice:

“Hunter Cha Seohu! I can help too! With anything! I’ll even lend—no, give you money!”

“Huh? I don’t ne—”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to talk to someone in the same profession? I’m always here if you need advice!”

“Wait, this advice—right now—?”

“I-I’m officially becoming the guildmaster tomorrow, so if you need anything—!”

“Wait, what?! You’re officially becoming the guildmaster tomorrow?!”

The atmosphere in the representative office exploded again. Shocked voices overlapped as everyone stared at each other.

Watching it all from one step behind, Song Jiwoon simply sipped his tea, smiling with delight.

***

Thirty minutes later.

Having finally calmed everyone down, Cha Seohu rubbed his forehead.

“Let’s go in order. I’ll finish what I was saying first.”

He took a deep breath and placed a hand gently atop Cha Sahyeon’s head, who was sitting close beside him.

“The abnormal strength in Cha Sahyeon’s aura is the result of the human experimentation done at the lab. Because of that, he experienced memory instability and other issues for a while... but now, everything’s resolved. Both his memories and his power. He can control it perfectly now.”

Though his control might be too perfect. And he’s getting bolder by the day.

Cha Seohu brushed those thoughts aside, stroking his brother’s head again as he continued.

“So what I’m asking is... I’d like you all to help keep this a secret. There were a lot of witnesses, so the Association is probably already looking into him. But because of what he went through in the lab, he has lingering trauma. I want to keep things quiet—no drama.”

His bittersweet smile made the S-ranks understand immediately.

Even if they weren’t blood-related, he clearly cherished Sahyeon deeply.

Kwon Taehyuk asked carefully, a pained look on his face.

“Even if we keep it quiet... it won’t be easy to evade the Association’s attention.”

“This choker reduces his apparent age and suppresses his aura to B-rank levels.”

The choker around Sahyeon’s neck shimmered with a bright green gem, matching the color of his eyes.

“The version of him you saw in the dungeon boss room was his adult form. With this item, he should be fine for now.”

“Ah...”

Kwon Taehyuk recalled the terrifying figure he’d seen in the boss room.

The towering form, the vicious shadow swirling around him—it was hard to believe the boy sitting here was the same person.

‘He was even taller than Seohu back then, and bulkier too.’

Taehyuk narrowed his eyes.

Sahyeon was blushing faintly as Seohu patted his head and smiled like a kid.

‘So... does that mean he’s living in adult form behind closed doors?’

The suspicion sparked another memory—of Seohu throwing himself into Sahyeon’s arms without hesitation.

And Sahyeon, wrapping his arms around Seohu without the slightest discomfort. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“......”

Kwon Taehyuk clenched his fists unconsciously. The veins on the back of his hand popped as tension surged through him.

Consumed with jealousy, he didn’t even notice Seohu looking at the three of them expectantly.

“You’ll keep the secret, right?”

“...Of course.”

Forcing himself to stay calm, Kwon Taehyuk pulled out his phone.

Without even glancing at the screen, he started typing at lightning speed.

Prepare another guest room.

Right now.

– Secretary Kim Kyungmin

Excuse me?

Another guest room, sir?

Is someone new arriving other than Hunter Cha Seohu?

Just do it.

Kwon Taehyuk understood that Seohu genuinely cared for Cha Sahyeon. He even admired that about him.

If they embraced naturally—so be it. No, it still didn’t sit right, but he knew he couldn’t change it.

But.

But sharing a room?

Having Hunter Cha Seohu share a room with someone who wasn’t his real brother, wasn’t a child, but was instead a man—

That...

That was something he absolutely wanted to stop.

With all his heart.