Am I the First?
Kim Minseo showed up a little later than the day before, at 6:30 p.m. "Association President!"
She spotted Park Jaeyoung by the vegetable garden and waved. In her hand was a paper bag. It didn't seem like she'd been delayed by work—more like she'd taken time to buy the bag.
"What's that?"
"Hamburgers. You love them, Association President."
"Thanks."
Park Jaeyoung really did love hamburgers. They were quick to eat, sure, but above all, they just tasted amazing.
"I got them just how you like."
"Really?"
Kim Minseo rattled off Park Jaeyoung's preferences without missing a beat. When he had a chicken burger, he'd always add a side with beef patty. With a beef burger, he'd do the opposite. And he'd get spicy sauce to dip his fries or nuggets in.
"You remember all that?"
"It's about you, Association President."
"Still..."
Kim Minseo shook her head. "I wanted to do it."
At a loss for words, Park Jaeyoung opened the packaging and dug in silently. Midway through,
"Anyone else come by besides me?"
Kim Minseo asked cautiously. Her expression was a touch stiff, which caught his attention, but he let it slide. Probing why her face looked off would just be weird.
"Nah, no one."
"That's strange..."
"Why?"
"Nothing."
The vibe said she wouldn't answer even if he pressed. Park Jaeyoung focused back on his burger, feeding Porri some fries in between and polishing off three burgers total.
After eating, he planted various seeds and seedlings with Kim Minseo.
"I should head out now."
"How about a drink before you go?"
Park Jaeyoung grabbed her as she turned to leave. Kim Minseo tilted her head.
"A drink?"
"Been a while since I had one with you. No pressure—if it's a hassle, just go."
"No, I'll have some."
Park Jaeyoung quickly set up a drinking spread once they were inside. He blanched tofu, stir-fried well-fermented kimchi with bite-sized pork belly, then sautéed drained sweet corn in butter, spread it out, and piled on mozzarella cheese. In a flash, tofu kimchi and corn cheese were ready.
He asked Kim Minseo, who was seated at the table, "Pick the booze."
"Makgeolli."
He brought makgeolli and bowls. She poured a proper amount into her bowl. They clinked with a "Cheers!" and she downed hers, wiping her mouth.
"Tastes good."
"Glad to hear it."
"Probably 'cause I'm drinking with you, Association President."
Park Jaeyoung topped tofu with kimchi stir-fry and asked, "Got a question."
"What is it? I can even show you the Association's accounts!"
He chuckled. "You gonna keep calling me Association President from now on?"
Her eyes went wide. "I can't?"
"I retired."
"But in my heart, you'll always be the Association President."
"Even going forward?"
"Of course!"
Park Jaeyoung and Kim Minseo reminisced about Association days over makgeolli. A drink turned into two, then more, until her cheeks flushed red.
"Association President."
"Yeah?"
"I've got something I'm really curious about. You have to tell me."
Her tongue was starting to slur a bit.
"Shoot."
"What exactly did you see in me to hand over the Association presidency?"
Recalling the old days, Park Jaeyoung answered. "Remember the interview?"
She shook her head. The moment he'd entered the room, she'd been so nervous she barely remembered anything. To her, Park Jaeyoung was the benefactor who'd saved her little brother and parents from a gate break.
"When I asked why you applied, you said this."
Kim Minseo stared intently at his lips.
"You wanted to make the Association a place that takes care of those left behind. Not like the guilds—just a group chasing profit."
He grinned and added, "It lined up with what I thought the Association should be."
"Really?"
"Right after the Great Cataclysm, those first five years were a total mess. Hunters killing hunters, not monsters. Someone had to stop it, so I stepped up."
She nodded. "Yeah. You worked so hard. Mediating with guilds every day, chasing down villain hunters who caused trouble."
"Someone had to. No regrets."
She swallowed the words "I respect you so much, Association President" before they escaped. Saying it would've made her too embarrassed to face him.
The next day, when Park Jaeyoung woke, the sun was already high. Back in his Association President days, he'd have bolted out of bed yelling about being late. But retired now, he could laze in bed all day without issue.
He fiddled with his smartphone for about an hour before getting up. He could've stayed longer, but his stomach was growling fiercely.
Down on the first floor, heading to the kitchen, Porri scampered after him from somewhere. Park Jaeyoung gave it a handful of nuts for breakfast, then hummed as he boiled ramen—his go-to hangover cure. He cracked the egg without breaking the yolk and added a spoonful of tuna sauce. That made for a refreshingly spicy broth.
While the ramen cooked, he glanced at the table. Traces of last night: makgeolli bottles, soju, snacks, jerky, nut bags. Their drinking session had stretched long.
"Hope she's handling work okay."
Kim Minseo wasn't great with alcohol, so he worried a bit. After company dinners, she'd always look wiped out in the mornings.
The ramen finished. He sat at the table with his bowl, chopsticks in one hand, phone in the other, and started eating.
Checking Messenger, a flood from Kim Minseo.
He'd carried drunk Kim Minseo through the portal to the Association President's office and tossed her on the sofa. But some truths were better left unknown. Park Jaeyoung had no intention of mentioning it.
He sent a quick reply saying nothing had happened and started on his ramen. Sipping the broth from the bowl, he let out an involuntary sigh of satisfaction. Not that he'd gotten that drunk, but it cleared him right up. He slurped every last drop.
After ramen, he checked the garden. The mana-rich air of Muinjidae worked wonders—the lettuce sprouts were already up. In another two or three days, he'd have fresh lettuce. Perfect timing for some grilled pork belly, he thought, pulling weeds.
That's when a shout came from afar.
"Oppa!"
Park Jaeyoung turned toward the voice. Shoulder-length dark brown bob swaying, big clear eyes, then her signature bralette and hot pants. A hunter embodying game character logic in real life. Ha Eunchae, who'd been tied to him since right after his awakening.
"What? How'd you know to come here?"
She closed in fast. "You told me before. Said you'd retire to Muinjidae."
"Oh, right."
"Yeah. Soon as I heard you'd retired, I scoured the place."
Ha Eunchae patted the hand axe at her waist. It gleamed—she'd clearly been monster-hunting hard.
"Am I the first? Right?"
Park Jaeyoung shook his head. "Minseo stopped by."
"What? When?"
"Yesterday."
Ha Eunchae flashed a menacing grin. "She knew where you were and didn't tell me."
She looked ready to storm the Association President's office any second. No wonder people called her a berserker. Once her eyes rolled back, no one could stop her.
Park Jaeyoung hurriedly calmed her. "It's not like that."
"Then what?"
"Detection magic, she said."
He had no idea how Kim Minseo had found him either—he wasn't a mage. But he needed to soothe Ha Eunchae. Her raiding the office was the last thing he wanted.
"Hah, she had mana to spare?"
"Why're you so worked up?"
"I've been hunting monsters nonstop for over three days."
"Minseo's the Association President—super busy. She just forgot to tell you."
She scowled but didn't push it.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat."
"Sure. I'll make something."
Park Jaeyoung shook his head vigorously. Ha Eunchae storming the office was less terrifying than her cooking. He'd sooner eat dirt. Or poison—he could handle that.
"Nah, let me do it."
To beat her to it, he rushed toward the house.