Chapter 4, You Bastards.
Chapter 4, You Bastards.
"I came to renew my Hunter License."
I was sitting at the civil complaint desk when a woman who had just walked in approached me.
Scanning her up and down, she was dressed in comfy training clothes with a cap pulled low over her head.
But the glimpse of her eyes peeking out from under the brim of the cap was anything but ordinary.
A pretty familiar face.
It was Jung Su-ah, the A-class Hunter I'd seen on TV a few times.
Why would someone of her caliber come to the Civil Complaint Office in person?
'Usually, they send a guild employee to handle it.'
I swallowed those thoughts and opened my mouth with the most nonchalant expression I could muster.
A civil servant's basic virtue is a poker face that doesn't flinch.
"Could you hand over your license, please?"
I took the license she offered and placed it on the scanner.
Bbik.
With a cheerful beep, her hunter info popped up on the monitor.
[Jung Su-ah, A-class, Magic Type]
It was the regular renewal that comes once a year.
No special issues.
"Renewal fee is 50,000 won."
"Here you go."
She pulled 50,000 won in cash from her wallet and handed it over.
Cash is pretty rare these days.
A quick glance at her wallet showed it was pretty worn out.
'An A-class Hunter should be raking in the dough, but she's surprisingly frugal.'
I fed the cash into the register and proceeded with the renewal on the monitor.
Tadak, tadadak.
The only sound in the Civil Complaint Office was the quiet clacking of the keyboard.
I handled the task as quickly and accurately as possible.
Keeping a complainant waiting too long isn't the mark of a good civil servant.
Right in the middle of the renewal process.
She suddenly spoke to me.
With a question I never saw coming.
"Um... excuse me... are you by any chance... Gugeup-i from the Hunter Gallery?"
Tadak.
My fingers froze mid-keystroke.
My heart felt like it dropped with a thump.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my spine.
I never imagined someone would actually track me down and ask.
And an A-class Hunter this famous, no less?
Couldn't have dreamed it up.
'More than that, even A-class Hunters browse the gallery?'
At this point, I'm starting to suspect even Jensen Huang chows down on chimaek.
I slowly lifted my head and looked at her.
She was staring at me with eyes half hopeful, half suspicious.
'Calm down, Gyeong-ho. You're just a Grade 9 Civil Servant.'
I plastered on the most innocent, bewildered expression I could manage.
"Huh? Gugeup-i? What's that... is it a new monster name? Or maybe an item?"
When in doubt, play dumb.
My acting was flawless today, as always.
"Oh."
Jung Su-ah let out a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and disappointment.
"No... it's a person. A community nickname..."
"Oh... I see. I'm not really up on that stuff."
I flashed another pure, wholesome smile.
"Guess not, huh. Sorry for asking something weird."
Jung Su-ah scratched the back of her head, looking embarrassed.
'Phew... that scared the shit out of me. Thought my heart was gonna drop out.'
I let out a silent sigh of relief inside and finished up the renewal.
"Renewal's almost done. Just a moment, please."
I pulled the freshly stamped license from the card issuer.
Warm off the press.
"Renewal complete. Here's your license."
"Thanks. Good work."
She snatched the license and bolted out of the Civil Complaint Office like a bat out of hell.
Like she was being chased or something.
"Hoo..."
I let out a long sigh, staring at the entrance where Jung Su-ah had vanished.
'Was she just taking a shot in the dark?'
My head was spinning.
That's when a familiar voice came from behind.
"Gyeong-ho-ssi."
"Yes, Team Leader-nim."
Team Leader Kang, who had been peeking over the partition, walked over.
"What was that about? What'd you talk about with that complainant earlier?"
"Oh, that."
I shrugged as I answered.
"She asked if I was some Gugeup-i. No idea what that is, but maybe I look like a celebrity or something?"
"Gugeup-i?"
Team Leader-nim pondered for a sec, then burst out laughing with a pfft.
"That's what it was? That was A-class Hunter Jung Su-ah, right?"
"Yeah."
"Even A-class Hunters browse the gallery, huh."
Team Leader-nim chuckled dryly and asked me,
"You know what Hunter Gallery is, Gyeong-ho-ssi?"
"Hunter Gallery? Like an art exhibit for hunters?"
I put on another innocent face.
"Nah, it's a community site the hunters use. They share info among themselves, chat, that kinda thing."
Team Leader-nim continued, sounding amused.
"Someone there grabbed a civil servant concept and trolls around. Pretends to be an on-duty official giving advice left and right. Nickname's Gugeup-i. Probably means Grade 9 Civil Servant. Looks like Jung Su-ah mistook you for him earlier."
"Haha..."
I laughed awkwardly, playing it cool.
"Don't sweat it. Tons of weirdos out there. Just keep handling complaints properly. I know you do good work, Gyeong-ho-ssi."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, Team Leader-nim."
Team Leader-nim headed back into the office.
Once he was gone, I grabbed my phone right away.
Opened the browser, logged into Hunter Gallery like second nature.
And sure enough.
A piping hot new post caught my eye.
Already rocketing to featured post status.
[Title: Asked a Grade 9 if he was Gugeup-i and he had no clue lololol]
[Went to renew my license earlier and asked the guy at the desk if he was Gugeup-i lololol]
[He looked like a kinda dim Grade 9.]
[When I asked, he freaked out hard and asked what it even was lololol]
[Saw him ask if it was a monster name and noped out, def not him.]
[Total concept faker.]
[Almost got baited lololol]
ㄴIdiot lolol he actually asked that.
ㄴNo proof tho, what gives?
ㄴㄴ(Poster) Phone was off, couldn't snap a pic ㅡㅡ don't start shit
ㄴSo face pretty decent?
ㄴㄴ(Poster) Got the looks that'd be popular with girls.
ㄴㄴㄴI'm going tomorrow too.
ㄴSo he said he was Gugeup-i or nah?
ㄴㄴ(Poster) Said he didn't know?
ㄴㄴㄴNo fuck lololol you'd go up to the guy himself and say 'hey are you Gugeup-i-nim?' and he'd be like 'yep that's me!' lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴLmao for real lolol you can tell the IQ level lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Poster) Shut up ㅡㅡ
ㄴDon't troll concept fakers and harass innocent civil servants ㅉㅉ
ㄴㄴThis guy's Gugeup-i's alt? lololol
ㄴMonster name lolololol so fucking funny
ㄴBut is the Grade 9 dude actually a civil servant?
ㄴㄴKnows regs inside out, probs legit. Could be Grade 7.
I clicked my tongue and swallowed a sneer.
The "kinda dim" part was actually a relief.
Dodged the suspicion perfectly.
But I couldn't just leave it like this.
Someone else might come sniffing around.
Logged in with my usual ID.
Nickname: Gugeup-i.
Started typing up a post.
[Title: (Notice) Regarding Visits to the Management Bureau]
[Recently, there have been attempts to visit the Management Bureau Civil Complaint Office, mention Hunter Gallery nicknames, and identify personal details of on-duty civil servants.]
[This is clear interference with official duties, and if it continues, strict measures will be taken under relevant laws such as the Stalking Punishment Act, including referral to prosecution.]
[We ask for the hunters' self-restraint.]
ㄴAh fuck lololololol
ㄴGugeup-i's pissed lolololol
ㄴReferral to prosecution? Overreaction lolololol
ㄴWhoa... someone actually went there lololololol
ㄴㄴ(Me) Not a laughing matter. Interferes with complaint processing.
ㄴGrade 9 has every right to be mad. Not like "you browsing gallery on the job?"
ㄴㄴLmao for real lololol
ㄴBro what's your pay grade?
ㄴㄴ(Me) No obligation to answer.
Posting this official(?) warning actually cooled any suspicions about me.
People tend to believe shit more when you tell 'em not to do it.
Then, Jung Su-ah from earlier posted again.
[Title: The one who asked the Grade 9 earlier]
[Thought it was just gallery banter... yeah...]
[Saw the notice, guess he really is a civil servant... feel bad for nothing.]
[He seemed to work really hard... sorry... ㅠ]
Cue a flood of comments ripping into her.
I dropped one on that post.
ㄴ(Me) Please refrain from excessive blame, let's make a clean gallery culture.
ㄴㄴ(Me) Hunters, please uphold your dignity.
ㄴㄴYessir...
ㄴBig man, agreed.
'This is why I gallery.'
Grinned in satisfaction.
Perfect opinion manipulation.
Cackling to myself when the Civil Complaint Office door opened again.
"Um... I came to cancel my Hunter License."
The guy who walked in looked pretty rough.
Reeked of stale body odor all over, face wrecked like he hadn't slept in days.
Dark circles down to his jaw.
Happens a lot.
Folks who've hit their money goal or just can't hunter anymore.
This one screamed the latter.
'Lost a party member or something.'
Hunters who go through hell in a dungeon and get PTSD show up like this.
Didn't pry, just printed out a Hunter License cancellation form and handed it over.
"Please fill this out. And your ID too."
The guy took the form with shaking hands, stared at it forever, then grabbed a pen and started writing.
Name, resident number, reason for cancellation.
'Hunter life maladjustment.'
Short and sweet.
But how much pain packed into those three words?
Took his form, checked for issues.
"ID too, please?"
Verified his ID.
C-class Hunter.
Common rank.
Pulled the 'Management Bureau' stamp from my drawer and slammed it down hard.
Thwack.
"Cancellation processed."
Scanned the form into the archive, picked up the returned Hunter License.
Grabbed the puncher on the desk corner and drilled a hole in the corner.
Chulkeok.
Now it was just worthless plastic.
Proof of cancellation.
"Here's your license back. Can't use it anymore, but keep it as a souvenir."
"...Yeah."
The guy stared at his holed license for a long time.
Wonder what he was thinking.
Finally, I stood up and bowed to him.
"Thank you for your service as a hunter all this time."
The bare minimum respect for someone who'd been a hunter till the end—and a hero who'd protected the world from gates.
The guy gave a hollow laugh at his canceled license and left the Civil Complaint Office.
*
Before quitting time.
Got a break, so I checked the gallery again.
Feels like I'm gallerying extra hard today.
A featured post: "Wrapping up hunter life."
'The guy from earlier? Posted a review?'
Clicked in.
But the content was weird.
[Title: Hit 3 bil and retiring lololol Grade 9 troll recap lololol]
(Coin exchange balance 3.01245 bil won screenshot proof)
[Finally hit my 3 bil goal lololol fuck gates forever lololol]
[Good luck everyone lololol]
[Oh, and earlier got bored, went to Management Bureau for license cancel, saw a Grade 9 so I acted all wrecked lololol]
[Went days without washing and he totally bought it lololol]
[Looked like he was holding back from asking 'Did you... lose a party member?' lololol]
[Stood up and bowed at the end, hilarious af lololol]
[Grade 9 civil servants so naive, easy to fool lololol]
ㄴWhoa 3 bil
ㄴJealous af... when do I get mine
ㄴlololol acting on point I guess
ㄴㄴImagining it cracks me up
ㄴPoor Grade 9 ㅠㅠ
ㄴFell for that lololololol
ㄴCivil servants are like that. Clueless about the world.
ㄴㄴFr
ㄴWith 3 bil I'd pull that prank too lololol
'Ha... this fucker?'
I was floored.
All that acting was fake?
Even the trembling hands?
I'd been genuinely worried, gave him a proper send-off with respect.
Bowed and said 'thank you'!
And this is the guy?
'Yeah, made 3 bil, no wonder he's untouchable.'
Jealous? Sure. But pissed? Hell yeah.
Dropped a comment right away.
ㄴ(Me) Congrats. Super jealous. Doubt I'd touch that kinda money in 100 years.
ㄴㄴ100 years lololololol
ㄴㄴHang in there...
ㄴㄴClassic Grade 9 peanuts salary ㅠㅠ
ㄴㄴ(Poster) lololol Gugeup-i you hang in there too. Bro's out~
ㄴㄴㄴ(Me) Yeah... safe travels. (T.T)
ㄴㄴㄴㄴAh fuck (T.T) what is this lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴGugeup-i's adorable lolol
ㄴㄴGugeup-i hyung wake up and hunter soon lololol
ㄴㄴㄴ(Me) I'm D-class awakened... can't hunter.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴD-class lololol total loser bug lolololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴJust stick to civil servant then lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴD-class Grade 9 lololol perfect combo
I turned off my phone screen and faceplanted on the desk.
You bastards.