Chapter 5. An Unscheduled Weekend Shift
Chapter 5. An Unscheduled Weekend Shift
The good thing about being a civil servant.
At least you can relax comfortably on holidays.
Saturday.
I slept in late.
When I opened my eyes, it was already past 1 p.m.
"Huaaa..."
I rolled around in bed and grabbed my phone first.
Out of habit, I tapped the Hunter Gallery app.
There are way more people on weekends than weekdays.
'Yep, Gallery scrolling is a weekend thing.'
Sure enough, the Gallery was already blazing hot.
The hottest bait right now was stuff about "weekend hunters."
Like, do you really need to work even on weekends and scrape together money like that...?
Something along those lines.
I scrolled down, and bam, a featured post popped up.
[Title: Hunters working even on weekends without rest << Aren't they pathetic?]
[Is money that great?]
[Lol If you risk your life on weekdays, rest on weekends at least.]
[I just chill on weekends.]
[Gate breaks out or not, I don't give a fuck lololol]
ㄴFor real lol Money you take to the grave ain't worth it
ㄴ(Writer) Yeah, exactly. No idea why they'd live life so tiringly.
ㄴDon't only D-Class scrubs hunt on weekends? 'Cause they're broke?
ㄴㄴAnd what are you doing instead of hunting?
ㄴㄴHunter-hater, please go do some work...
ㄴㄴMom's human too, human!!
ㄴ(Me) There are plenty of hunters who have to work weekends just to scrape by. Please refrain from the hate.
ㄴㄴGugeup-i's a civil servant, so no work on weekends, right?
ㄴㄴㄴMust suck being you, you retard.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Me) ...
ㄴResting on weekends is a skill too. No skill? Crawl out even on weekends.
ㄴㄴThat's a fact...
[Title: A honey gate pops on weekend and you don't go = retard]
[Money copy-paste bug drops and you skip it?]
[While you bums chill and pay rent, I'm earning and buying a penthouse lololol]
[Jealous? Go hunt weekends too lololol]
ㄴThis guy's just a troll lololol
ㄴㄴ(Writer) Not trolling. Cleared 3 C-Class today, made 800.
ㄴㄴㄴNo proof, bullshit?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Proof.png)
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴWhoa, fuck what the hell.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴBro, which guild?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gallery Admin) Doxxing attempt, 3-day ban.
ㄴProof hits hard, reality check. I'm just Gallery-scrolling in my room on weekends.
ㄴㄴCheer up, gay. Money ain't everything in life.
ㄴㄴㄴ(Writer) Yeah, it is. No money? Die.
ㄴㄴㄴLook at this smug fuck. Gonna die in an A-Rank gate like that.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴHope you drop dead in a gate.
[Title: Honestly, weekend shifts should pay double]
[They roll ass-backwards even on weekdays, weekends too? No way lololol]
[At least 1.5x to even pretend to go.]
[Association, wake the fuck up.]
[Hunter welfare needs urgent improvement.]
ㄴ1.5x? Even 2x ain't enough fuck
ㄴQuit whining, jealous? Retire lololol
ㄴWho held a knife to your throat and said be a hunter?
ㄴㄴThis guy's no hunter lololol
ㄴㄴAm I the only one getting threatened? Fuck
I let out a snicker.
Nodding along as I read the posts.
Nobody wants to work on weekends for real.
Get abused by complainants all week, then work weekends too?
Just imagining it was horrifying.
'Even if the salary's a bit low, civil servant life is the best.'
That was why I'd given up on being a hunter and became a civil servant.
I posted one myself.
[Title: I hate weekend shifts too.]
[I deeply empathize with you hunters.]
[But Hunter Management Bureau civil servants can't have side gigs from the start.]
[Per National Civil Servant Act Article 64 (Prohibition of Profitable Work and Concurrent Positions), unauthorized side gigs are grounds for discipline.]
[So even if we want to work weekends, we can't. Kinda jealous of you all.]
[Have a relaxing weekend, everyone.]
ㄴLolololol Gugeup-i stayed up late Gallery-scrolling and just woke up?
ㄴJealous? Be! A! Hun! Ter!
ㄴNot "don't wanna," it's "can't" lololol
ㄴㄴ(Me) I have a duty to convey accurate facts.
ㄴFact) Civil servants can't afford shit on salary so tons do secret side gigs
ㄴㄴThat's a fact lololol My buddy's at Hunter Bureau, drives taxis at night
ㄴㄴㄴ(Me) That guy's... about to get disciplined soon.
ㄴStill jealous of weekend rest...
ㄴㄴ(Me) Thank you. Have a relaxing weekend.
I skimmed the Gallery roughly and got out of bed.
Opened the door and locked eyes with noona right away.
"Gyeong-ho-ya, you finally up?"
"Yeah. Went to bed kinda late last night."
"I thought you'd gone out, noona did. I'll get it ready quick, so come eat."
Noona pushed my back and dragged me to the table.
Yawning while checking my phone, the table was set in a flash.
Lazily picking up my spoon while eyeing my phone.
That was when.
Woooong-
My phone buzzed noisily.
Checked the caller and tilted my head.
[Complaints Department Kim Team Leader-nim]
'Team Leader-nim... on a weekend? Why?'
A bad feeling flashed by.
"Hello?"
- Hey, Gyeong-ho! Where are you right now!
Team Leader-nim's urgent voice smacked my ear.
"Uh... home. It's the weekend, so..."
- Gotta come to the site NOW! Emergency shift!
"Yes? Emergency shift?"
- A-Rank Gate just burst in central Seoul! Disaster level! Hurry!
Click.
Call ended.
I stared blankly at my phone for a sec.
A-Rank Gate?
'...Ah.'
The moment an unscheduled weekend shift was locked in.
"What? Your face just went stiff."
"Sigh. Team Leader-nim suddenly called me out for emergency shift..."
"On a weekend? Is it 'cause of that?"
Noona pointed at the breaking news ticker under the TV she'd been watching in the living room.
[Breaking News] Unknown A-Rank Gate Appears in Central Gangnam, Seoul...
"...Gotta head out."
"Eat first!"
"No time!"
I shoved the rest of the food in my mouth and bolted out.
I grabbed a taxi in a rush and shouted the destination.
"Gangnam! As fast as possible!"
"Gangnam's jammed right now."
"It's fine. Still, as fast as you can."
Sat in the back seat and turned my phone back on.
Hunter Gallery was already flipped upside down.
[Title: Fuck, A-Rank just dropped in Gangnam lolololol]
[(Video) (Photo)]
[Fucking huge lololol whoa lololol]
ㄴInsane lolololol
ㄴA-Rank's disaster level, right?
ㄴㄴAll S-Ranks mobilizing lolol
ㄴㄴㄴS-Ranks gathering now, they say.
ㄴWhoa... how much honey you suck from there?
ㄴㄴHoney? Lololol A-Rank's where you go to die
ㄴ(Writer) Sirens just blared, armored vehicles rolled by ㄷㄷ
ㄴGangnam locals pissing themselves
ㄴNear my house...
ㄴㄴ(Writer) Run lololol
ㄴPulsating with mana stone scent already
ㄴCan't block this, Seoul's done, right?
ㄴㄴA-Rank hype bullshit ㄴㄴ
[Title: Weren't civil servants on emergency shift earlier? Lololol]
[No way you're heading to work now? Lolololol]
[Gugeup-i said no side gigs so chilling lololol Forced labor ending lolol]
ㄴLololololol Gugeup-i became weekend hunter
ㄴSaid no side gigs earlier lolol
ㄴㄴThis ain't side gig, it's forced labor, right? Lolol
ㄴGugeup-i sobbing lololol
ㄴProbably crying in a taxi right now lolol
ㄴㄴ(Me) ...
ㄴㄴㄴMain character appears lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Me) ...On my way.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴLolololololol Cheer up
ㄴTaxpayer money... being spent well!
ㄴㄴ(Me) I'm a taxpayer too, pay taxes.
ㄴㄴㄴHurry to work. Don't wanna die.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Me) Yes sir...
[Title: (Emergency) Seeking site control part-timers for A-Rank Gate (30 per hour)]
[D-Class+, no combat exp needed. Just carry stuff and line up people.]
[First 50. Paid directly by Myeongseong Guild S-Rank.]
ㄴWhoa 30/hour ㄷㄷ
ㄴOn my way.
ㄴㄴLining up but already over 100 fuck off
ㄴㄴㄴWhy see this honey gig now ㅠㅠ
ㄴBut D-Class just cannon fodder?
ㄴㄴA-Rank mobs are C-Class min. Where's D-Class fit.
ㄴㄴ(Writer) No combat deployment. Just carrying luggage.
ㄴㄴMyeongseong Guild is badass.
[Title: A-Rank Gate, what do civil servants do?]
[Aren't Hunter Bureau guys desk jobbers?]
[What do they do on-site?]
ㄴWhat?
ㄴCivil servants do civil service stuff.
ㄴ(Me) Planning to handle on-site command and control duties.
ㄴㄴOoh...
ㄴㄴSite proof plz
ㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Me) On my way.
Reading posts, arrived at destination quick.
"Drop me here."
Stepped out of the taxi, total chaos already.
Soldiers and cops setting police lines, controlling crowds.
Walked straight to them.
"Hold up! Civilians...!"
"Hunter Management Bureau."
Pulled out my Hunter Management Bureau notebook from my pocket and showed it.
Path opened with a soldier's salute.
Even as a 9th-grade in Complaints, Hunter Management Bureau civil servant authority is massive.
Why?
In this world, cops and soldiers all need hunter licenses mandatorily.
The department managing all those hunters has to have strong authority.
Like how a local office 9th-grade admin differs from a Supreme Prosecutors' Office 9th-grade admin.
Went in, grabbed vest and badge quick.
Site already packed with hunters gathered for A-Rank Gate raid.
"A-Rank+ hunters, this way please! B-Rank, C-Rank hunters, wait over there!"
My job: control and command them.
Well, just lining them up basically.
"License checks first! Line up!"
Hunters moved pretty orderly under my command.
But even then, there's always that one frog-tempered asshole who won't listen.
"Hey, civil servant. You telling us to line up right now?"
One hunter who looked like he'd touched some money crossed arms and picked a fight.
"Regulations require registration check, so cooperate please."
"Who the fuck are you to order us around?"
Guy scanned my badge.
"Lemme see... 9th-grade? Hey, 9th-grade scrub daring to teach us? Know how much I make a month?"
"Huuu..."
Deep sigh escaped automatically.
'Weekend shift already bullshit enough.'
Stared him down and opened my mouth.
"What's your name, sir?"
"What? My name? Kim Cheol-su. So what, gonna do something?"
Name's Cheol-su, how fitting~
Hunter boldly stated his name, balls of steel.
Pulled out phone from pocket.
Accessed Management Bureau intranet app, searched name.
Swipe swipe.
'Kim Cheol-su... B-Rank. Unaffiliated. Prior offenses... none.'
This guy has no priors? Wild.
Looked like he'd have 10 assault records easy.
"Kim Cheol-su Hunter. B-Rank. Unaffiliated. Confirmed."
"Yeah, so hurry the fuck..."
Tapped screen a few more times, hit 'Confirm.'
"Hunter Law Article 33 Paragraph 2. Disobeying on-site commander's legitimate orders."
"Wha...?"
"Kim Cheol-su Hunter's license temporarily suspended as of now."
"Wha... what? Now... suspended?"
Guy's face went ghost white.
Probably got the notification on his hunter app just now.
"H-Hey! Don't fuck around! Who the hell are you to suspend my license!"
"As a Hunter Management Bureau civil servant, I've been delegated on-site command authority. Disobeying is clear legal violation, immediate administrative action authorized."
My calm reply painted despair on his face.
Guy grabbed my arm desperately.
"N-No... wait. My bad! I fucked up! Undo the suspension... please undo it! I gotta enter this gate!"
"Already logged in the system. Can't undo now."
"Hey! 9th-grade! You really gonna be this hardass?!"
Guy lunged like he was gonna grab my collar.
Stepped back one, gestured to nearby controlling cops.
"Site control officers here! This way!"
"What seems to be the issue?"
Two riot-gear cops rushed over.
"This guy's Kim Cheol-su Hunter. License temporarily suspended, can't enter site. But keeps obstructing official duties. Please remove him outside."
"Obstructing official duties?"
Cops' eyes sharpened.
"N-No! Just... just talking!"
"Grab his arms!"
Cops seized Kim Cheol-su's arms and subdued him.
"Let go! Fuck let go! Hey! What's your name! I won't let you off! You 9th-grade fuck!"
The guy screamed even as he was dragged away.
I said flatly to him.
"My name's all on the badge. License suspension lifts Monday at Complaints Department. Cool off and come by."
"You 9th-grade motherfucker!!"
Curses flew, but I didn't blink.
Ignored the noise, turned back to the line.
"Next up. License check please."