Chapter 81: The Approaching Ones (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 81: The Approaching Ones (4)
The weekend was finally here.
It’s funny—when I had every day off, weekends didn't feel special at all. But now that I'm in college, they’ve started to feel precious.
So, I decided to laze around for the first time in a while, flopped onto my mattress, and turned on the TV.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Mr. Do-jin, are you in there?”
Someone was at the door.
A polite tone and a familiar voice.
I got up immediately and opened the door.
Standing there, just as I'd expected, was Yoon Ji-an.
“Ji-an, what are you doing here…?”
It had been a while, and I was happy to see her.
But at the same time, I was curious. Why would she visit on this golden Saturday morning?
“Have you been well?”
“Me? I've been doing fine, more or less. How about you, Ji-an?”
“Yes, I've been well too.”
I had my doubts. For someone who claimed to be “well,” her expression was anything but.
Her face was dark, as if she were carrying some great worry. What could it be? Was it related to me?
“So, what brings you here on a Saturday morning? Isn't this your day off too?”
“It is. But this is an urgent matter, so I took the liberty of coming. I'm sorry...”
She started to bow her head, but I stopped her by placing a hand on her forehead.
“Hey, none of that. You gave up your day off to come here, didn't you?”
Her face turned a shade of pink.
“...Thank you for your consideration.”
Her tone was tinged with shyness.
Hah.
This is why a man has to be handsome... no, at least look like a proper human being.
If I'd said the same thing back when I was fat, she would have thanked me, sure, but she definitely wouldn't have blushed like that.
Huh, with a reaction like this, maybe I can move our stagnant relationship forward a bit?
A sudden surge of motivation welled up inside me.
“Come on in.”
I stepped aside, but she replied apologetically.
“I'm sorry, but... there's somewhere I need you to go with me.”
“Oh, so I'm the one who has to go out.”
“Sorry...”
“I told you to stop.”
They say apologizing can become a habit. I guess they're right.
“Alright, wait here a moment. I'll just change my clothes and be right out. Any dress code?”
“No, it's not a formal occasion. Please, take your time.”
I went straight back to my room and pulled out whatever from my closet.
Jeans and a hoodie.
This should be fine.
I grabbed just my wallet and smartphone and went back outside.
Yoon Ji-an was sitting on the outdoor bench.
The way she stared wistfully at the distant sky, she looked just like a tragic heroine who'd been given a terminal diagnosis.
“Ji-an?”
“Ah, yes!”
My voice startled her, and she shot to her feet.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
When we went down the stairs, a familiar car was parked in front of the building.
Her sedan, which I’d gotten a ride in once before.
“Are we going far?”
“No. It should take about... 20 minutes from here.”
A 20-minute drive.
I got into the passenger seat and asked her.
“Where are we going?”
“The Goryeo Hotel.”
The Goryeo Hotel.
One of the top 5-star hotels in the country.
The night view from the VIP lounge there was incredible.
But wait a minute.
“...A hotel?”
What's this about?
They say you should never say never, but could this be...?
“To be precise, the Goryeo Hotel lounge.”
“Ah, I see.”
I really got ahead of myself.
“So, college life... is it treating you well?”
“I'm enjoying it in my own way.”
My life recently had been quite fun. Learning new magic was pretty rewarding, and the dungeon practicals added a nice bit of tension to my otherwise relaxed life. Even bickering with Im Na-eun and Shin Yu-jeong on campus was more fun than I expected.
“I'm glad to hear you're doing well.”
“……”
This woman was acting really strange today.
If you're glad, then be glad. Why the wistful expression?
Just as her expression was starting to bother me, the car came to a stop.
“We're here.”
That 20 minutes went by fast.
After handing the car over to the valet, we entered the hotel.
The familiar lobby scene greeted me.
A place that was meaningful to me in many ways.
I followed her into the elevator.
The button she pressed was for the 24th floor, the very top.
She said it was a lounge... turns out it wasn't just any lounge, but the VIP lounge.
“Welcome.”
A pretty female employee guided us from the entrance.
A window seat with a clear view of the outside.
Someone was already there.
A middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties.
I knew him.
Not well... just someone I'd met a few times for work.
Kim Seong-tae, the head of the Association's General Affairs Department.
I remembered him as someone whose languid face, which seemed devoid of ambition, belied a considerable lust for power.
“Ah, you've arrived. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Kim Seong-tae, head of the Association's General Affairs Department.”
“...I'm Kim Do-jin.”
“Please, have a seat.”
The three of us—me, Kim Seong-tae, and Yoon Ji-an—sat down at the round table, spaced apart.
“Shall we start with a meal?”
“Yes, let's.”
I had no idea what his scheme was for calling me all the way out here, but there was no reason to refuse an expensive meal.
I'll eat first and think later.
“I've already ordered the food. They are all dishes the Goryeo Hotel prides itself on, so I'm sure you'll be pleased.”
“Ah, yes.”
Before long, food began to be set on the table.
The sizable table was packed so tightly there was hardly an empty spot to be found.
Just as he’d said, all of the Goryeo Hotel's signature dishes were laid out before us.
“It's lunchtime, so you must be hungry. Please, eat.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
I immediately picked up my utensils and started eating.
I ignored about half the etiquette.
If it had just been Kim Seong-tae, that geezer, I might have just eaten with my hands. But Yoon Ji-an was here.
I'd always wanted to stuff my face like this here just once.
Every time I came, I was so focused on eating elegantly because of all the talk about etiquette and whatnot that I'd never once left feeling full.
“Haha... You must have been very hungry.”
I could hear the bewilderment in his trembling voice.
He probably never expected someone to eat so ravenously here.
Worried that Yoon Ji-an might be looking at me strangely, I glanced over, but she seemed completely zoned out.
It seems like she's connected to Kim Seong-tae in some way...
I cleaned off all the food that had been piled on the table.
I think I ate nearly 90% of it.
The bill for this must be over a million won. I've been treated quite well.
“We'll prepare dessert for you.”
Three cups of hot coffee were placed on the now-cleared table.
In my experience, this was about the time they'd get to the main point.
“So, what was the reason you wanted to see me?”
“Ah, there are two reasons I asked to see you today, Mr. Kim Do-jin.”
As he spoke, he took an envelope from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and offered it to me.
“Please, take a look.”
I picked up the envelope from the table and slid the contents out slightly.
Huh, checks.
Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands... ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million...?
It was a ten-million-won check.
And there were three of them.
“I heard you did great things during the attack at the special admission ceremony. This is your compensation for that.”
“Oh...”
I was going to refuse if it was some kind of bribe, but this was legitimate money I could accept.
My bank account was suddenly getting fatter.
Once I start my life as a Hunter, I'll be able to earn this much easily, but for now, it was more than enough to live on—an amount that left me feeling full.
“Ah, this... why, you've given me so much, haha!”
“I'm glad you like it. I pulled some strings to get you the maximum possible compensation.”
“Oh, you did? How can I ever thank you?”
I tucked the envelope into the front pocket of my hoodie as if it were a sacred relic.
I'd seen Department Head Kim Seong-tae's methods a few times, so I knew them well.
He'd start with the good news, and then, afterward, he'd reveal what he really wanted.
“You said there were two reasons. What's the other one?”
“Ah, about that.”
Kim Seong-tae subtly glanced at Yoon Ji-an.
Then, she, who had been staring blankly, opened her mouth, her expression dim.
“Actually... I believe today will be the last time I see you, Do-jin.”
“Huh?”
What was this all of a sudden?
Just as she was about to say more, Kim Seong-tae cut in.
“As you know, Mr. Do-jin, our Ms. Yoon Ji-an belongs to the Inspection Department.”
“Right.”
“And caring for promising talents like yourself is a duty handled by our General Affairs Department.”
Just hearing that, I knew what he meant.
“Ah... so you're saying the General Affairs Department will be taking over from now on?”
“Correct. Ms. Yoon Ji-an has been struggling a lot lately.”
“Because of me?”
“Not necessarily... It seems the physical burden of handling her Inspection Department duties on top of caring for you has been too much.”
I asked Yoon Ji-an, “Is that true, Ji-an?”
“Yes? Ah...”
Yoon Ji-an flinched, her body trembling slightly.
She briefly met Kim Seong-tae's eyes, then nodded her head as if in resignation.
“...That's right. It has been a bit physically taxing lately.”
“I see... You should have told me sooner.”
I would have pulled some strings for you.
Well, I can just pull them now.
Thinking things were going smoothly, Kim Seong-tae chimed in with a smile.
“So, starting today, I will be personally taking care of you, Mr. Kim Do-jin.”
“What, you yourself, Department Head?”
“Yes. You will likely experience a level of care that is on a different dimension from what you've had until now.”
His tone was full of pride.
There was nothing special about him offering to do it himself. He framed it as being for my sake, but in reality, it was for his own. He just wanted to forge the strongest possible connection with me.
But what to do.
“Ah... Department Head Kim Seong-tae is fine and all, but I think I prefer Yoon Ji-an.”
My answer sent a thin layer of ice over the once-mild atmosphere.
The smile on Kim Seong-tae's face began to crack, and Yoon Ji-an was flustered.
But it was only for a moment.
As if to prove he hadn't won his position as department head in a game of Go-Stop, he controlled his emotions masterfully.
“Haha, I understand. You must have grown quite attached to Ms. Yoon Ji-an by now.”
“That's right.”
“Still, as I said, Ms. Yoon Ji-an's workload is too heavy...”
If that's his excuse, I have a way to handle it.
I call it: Operation “Make It Happen.”
“Then take it away.”
A question mark began to form on Kim Seong-tae's face.
“Excuse me? What do you mean, 'take it away'?”
“Ji-an's duties.”
First, ‘take away’ Ji-an's heavy workload.