Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 77
I'd heard from Baek Hee-won ahead of time that Kang Se-jun was looking into the administrator, but I never imagined he'd ask me about it so directly, right at this moment. My heart pounded wildly.
Nice going, Thousand Masks. Keep up the good work, Thousand Masks!
"System Administrator...? You mean there's someone managing the system we all use?"
Se-ra stroked her chin with a serious expression.
"If that got out, it wouldn't be a joke, would it?"
Even to her, it was an incredibly nonchalant performance. Thanks to that, Kang Se-jun, who hadn't noticed anything suspicious, shook his head.
"It's not certain. In my fifth life, I just vaguely heard the name once. I don't even know if it really exists."
Unlike her calm face, her heart was racing.
Baek Hee-won had said she couldn't casually mention the System Administrator, but was it okay for Kang Se-jun to talk about it? Unlike her, did it not matter because he didn't know for sure if it existed?
"Still, if you of all people heard it, there must be something to it... How did you come across it?"
"While fighting in the labyrinth. I can't say more than that."
"Even so, this isn't something ordinary. You should report it to the Association or the WDO."
"No. Nothing's confirmed yet. Spreading it around in this situation would just cause more confusion."
"It's not dangerous?"
"Who knows. It might be dangerous, or it might not."
He wouldn't budge an inch. She couldn't press further without seeming suspicious.
To learn it while fighting in the labyrinth, of all things. Just how had Kang Se-jun lived his fifth life?
"Then maybe I should ask Seong Ja-rim."
"......"
She nearly choked.
"Why Seong Ja-rim?"
"Because Baek Hee-won is just as unusual as I am. I wondered if she might have some special trait like being a regressor. She actually came back alive from a dungeon, so she might know something."
Pretending to know here would spell disaster, wouldn't it?
Seong Ja-rim would never reveal that she herself was the administrator's contractor anyway, so Se-ra decided to play dumb and let it slide.
'Until I figure out why Kang Se-jun is searching for the System Administrator, I should keep it secret that I'm the contractor.'
If he was trying to kill her or use her as a hostage to threaten the administrator, that would be trouble. Since Kang Se-jun wasn't spilling everything, she had no intention of revealing the truth either.
"Ugh, talking to you always scrambles my brain. Fine about you or the Association President, but System Administrator?"
"Don't worry too much since it's not confirmed. If I find out more, I'll tell you."
Kang Se-jun spoke awkwardly, and Se-ra replied lightly that that was good enough.
What she really wanted to know was just two things: how he'd learned about the System Administrator and what he planned to do once he found them.
"Sorry for complicating things for you, but it cleared up my head, so the talk was worth it."
"Only good for you, huh."
"It wasn't bad for you either. Thanks to you being alive in this life, I learned three people are living just fine without issues. If you're okay with it, they'll be fine too."
Well, true enough. Se-ra nodded absently, then suddenly squinted.
"Three people? Including me? Or my dear brother?"
"What are you talking about? Do Section Chief. I wondered why he's so scatterbrained, but I guess that's how he was when you were alive."
Kang Se-jun laughed, but Se-ra still didn't get it.
"Do Section Chief? Why's he coming up here?"
"Why? Well... What? You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"That Do Section Chief and Yoon Jae-hun are childhood best friends. He said he's known him since they were kids, so he knows the little brother too?"
Hold on. What was this?
Pardon? Who and who are friends? Who knows me?
"He said he promised to protect the little brother while Yoon Jae-hun was out of the country, but the brother ended up dying, and he blamed himself. How come you don't know?"
"......"
Se-ra's face went blank.
Do Jun-young and Yoon Jae-hun were childhood friends. She'd sensed he looked out for her especially, but it was because of that!
'Wait. If he's my brother's best childhood friend, then... no way?'
The shy friend of Jae-hun's who couldn't even greet properly and always turned away.
As far as Se-ra knew, Jae-hun only kept in steady contact with that one friend even after joining Athena.
'Oh my god.'
No way that shy guy was Do Section Chief. Se-ra clutched her head.
What in the world is going on?!
* * *
After the Cheolwon Dungeon incident wrapped up completely, Seong Ja-rim's house was finally ready. Se-ra gained her freedom too.
"Your aide duties for Seong Ja-rim end today. Thanks for your hard work."
But even hearing those long-awaited words, Se-ra couldn't bring herself to look properly at Do Jun-young.
She felt like she was going insane. The shy older brother's friend from her childhood was none other than Do Jun-young. Now that she knew, all the past events flashed by like a montage.
Why hadn't Do Jun-young ever let on to her, who had completely forgotten?
"Seong Ja-rim's house is here. We've furnished it with essentials like a bed, so you can move in today."
"Hotel life was comfy. Shame."
Seong Ja-rim, taking the paper with the address, leaned on Se-ra's shoulder. It was understandable. Se-ra had handled all her cleanup duties until now.
'I'm finally free!'
Se-ra clenched her fist tight.
She could enjoy hotel life on her own dime from now on, so no regrets there. The reward from conquering Cheolwon Dungeon that had just hit her account was insanely huge.
This was the luxury high-level hunters enjoyed. Zeros everywhere, just, ugh. Ugh!
Haha. The administrator seems thrilled too.
"Hey, Se-ra, why are you acting awkward around Do Section Chief?"
The moment they left the section chief's office after finishing up, Seong Ja-rim asked. Se-ra hurriedly clapped a hand over that chatterbox mouth.
"What if he hears!"
"You made it so obvious. Think he didn't notice? He looked really hurt."
She hadn't seen. It was too awkward to even make eye contact.
"It's complicated."
Too awkward to explain in detail, Se-ra coughed dryly and turned away.
Ah, her boss turned out to be her brother's childhood friend who'd seen all her embarrassing kid moments. If she could, she'd swap places with someone else right now.
Ha, seriously. She should've quit after all. Se-ra teared up.
Seong Ja-rim's place was an apartment in Songpa.
To drop off the carless Ja-rim and check out the place, Se-ra headed there together.
"Wow, an apartment in Songpa. Is it the Association's wealth, the president's influence, or just how high L-rank status is? Nice."
The fully furnished 30-pyeong apartment on a high floor overlooked the Han River. So enviable.
"Now that you've revealed your rank to the Association, put in some effort and you could buy one like this. 30 pyeong? You'll snag a penthouse."
"Pen, penthouse?"
Stuff from another world popping up so casually. She'd hit S-rank and even L-rank now, but apparently her F-rank small-timer mindset lingered.
"Clear a few more dungeons, and you could live in a Han River-view penthouse?"
"Han River view...!"
That sounds great! Se-ra gaped, staring at the Han River beyond the living room window.
Awesome. Totally love it. She had to hustle from now on with that as her goal.
"Ahh, I'm bummed. I wanted to live with you more."
Seong Ja-rim sprawled on the sofa, flailing her limbs. Se-ra chuckled.
"I want to stop playing maid for you?"
"Gasp, so mean! What did I do!"
"Drive you around, order food, help you adjust to modern life, take you places, keep you out of the press and U.S. eyes......"
As Se-ra folded fingers one by one, Seong Ja-rim quieted down.
It was called surveillance, but thanks to Se-ra, her life had gotten way easier, no denying it.
"Th-that, I'm super grateful for......!"
"Keep being grateful."
Seong Ja-rim pouted. Hugging a cushion, she started sniffling and crying.
Before, this seemed awkward, like a switched-on act, but living together, Se-ra realized.
This was Seong Ja-rim's real personality, suppressed for a hundred years. Over a few months, her true self had gradually emerged and settled in.
She didn't seem to notice, but Se-ra thought it was a good thing.
"Well, you're not my charge anymore, so no more maid service, but I can tag along if you want to go out somewhere."
At those words offering that much, Ja-rim, face buried in the cushion, snapped her head up. Her eyes sparkled.
"Really?!"
"Sure, that much. I'm nice like that."
"Kind Yoon Se-ra-nim!"
Behind Ja-rim, who stretched her arms like a fanatic, a big puppy tail wagged furiously.
Why was the illusion so vivid?
In the end, even Se-ra burst out laughing.
"Headbang-nim!"
"Shut it!"
Of course, only for a moment. In the end, Seong Ja-rim got smacked on the back by Se-ra again.
On moving day one, what's better than tasty food? Jjajangmyeon, of course. After touring the place, Se-ra and Ja-rim ordered jjajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, and fried mandu.
This place has great spots.
"Oh. So Kang Se-jun really asked about the System Administrator?"
"He didn't seem convinced of its existence, like Baek Hee-won said."
While eating, Se-ra shared what Kang Se-jun had told her. Seong Ja-rim, who scarfed two pickled radishes, nodded with "Oho, oho."
"He asked you even without Baek Hee-won saying a word about you. Like backing off then catching a mouse by luck?"
"I don't wanna be the mouse. Probably asked because of my special circumstances."
"Besides being the administrator's contractor, what's special?"
"Huh. Didn't I tell you? You know Kang Se-jun is living his sixth life, right?"
"Yeah. Saw his Awakener info."
"But he said I died in all five previous lives except this one."
Clink. Seong Ja-rim's chopsticks dropped from her hand.
"......W-what?"
"Oh, guess I didn't mention this either? You were gone too. Your return is the first time, like mine."
"You and I were missing all five times, but showed up only this time...?"
Seong Ja-rim's jaw dropped. Se-ra pushed it back up.
"So I was thinking, maybe my contract with the administrator isn't the first time this time around."
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