Nights in Jeju (1)
"It’s starting to get cold..."
It has been over three months since the Baekgwang Construction incident. In that time, I’ve cleared one A-rank Gate and two B-rank Gates. The teams the Association introduced me to were absolute dream teams, so there were no casualties or injuries to speak of.
There was an announcement at the end of the year that 30 B-rank Hunters would be promoted to A-rank based on their performance, but there is a minimum quota of achievements one must meet to qualify for that promotion. Following the Association’s arrangements, I cleared one A-rank and two B-rank Gates in a short span of time to hit those numbers. It seems my promotion to A-rank is all but guaranteed.
The money piling up in my bank account has started to exceed 2 billion won. No... I’ve never had this much money before, so I don’t even have a clue how to spend it. I’ve already put in a pre-order for a new, high-end domestic sedan coming out early next year. Even after buying one of the most expensive models available, the balance in my account shows no signs of shrinking.
I thought about investing, but people around me told me, "What kind of Hunter invests? Isn't it more profitable to just clear another Gate?" so I gave up on that idea. It makes sense, too—clearing a Gate brings in hundreds of millions of won, so stressing over daily market fluctuations feels like a waste of my abilities.
The house is quiet. Nahyun is currently holed up at the Association because her future—whether she becomes a permanent employee after graduation or finishes as just an intern—is on the line. She says her internship ends next week.
Yuna has had more days off lately because her workplace situation has worsened, and she spends those days trying to find a new job. No... why are you looking for a job? I told her not to worry about money since I’d be the one earning it, but she seems to feel guilty and keeps trying to find work. I’m still trying to talk her out of it.
And in three days, it’s the big day: the CSAT. The day that determines the fate of our household’s repeat student. Yuna, myself, and Yoon Jihyun are all home, but the house is deathly silent. We aren't doing anything that might make noise, including watching TV.
Being a repeat student is like being royalty around here... It’s annoying that I have to use earphones even to watch a single video, but I only have to endure it for three more days.
The house is filled with laughter. The CSAT is over, and Nahyun’s internship has concluded, so she packed her things and returned home yesterday. Yoon Jihyun has been beaming ever since she came home from the exam and checked her answers.
Nahyun is also in a constant state of joy, saying she’s likely to be hired as a permanent employee at the Association. Hmm... it’s nice to have the whole family together after so long. Yuna seems to be in a great mood because of all the good news, and the dinner table, which was already luxurious, is gaining even more side dishes.
"Oh, right. I’m going to Jeju Island in two weeks. The Association asked me to handle one more job, so I’ll be gone for a few days."
"Jeju Island?"
As soon as Jeju Island was mentioned, Nahyun looked at me with a seductive smile.
"Yeah. I’ll have to see when I get there, but shouldn't it be done in three days?"
Recently, a large number of C and D-rank Gates have been appearing in Jeju. At first, they sent C and D-rank Hunters to handle them, but the pace was slower than expected, so they started sending A and B-rank Hunters to clear the Gates quickly. The Association gave me a request to solo-explore a C-rank Gate on my own.
Solo-exploring a C-rank Gate... they’re basically treating me like an A-rank Hunter already.
Just then, Nahyun tapped the table and said, "Let’s go to Jeju Island, too!"
"I’m down. The CSAT is over, so I should be out having fun."
"Jeju Island? Hmm... the timing is fine, but..."
The three women stare at me intently. What is this... This has been happening a lot at home lately. Whenever they try to decide on something together, they hand the final decision over to me. It feels like I’m officially being treated as the pillar and head of this household.
"Hmm... well, I guess it’s fine? Considering the time it takes to finish the job, if I leave and you guys come three days later, the timing should work out..."
"Really? Then I’ll book the accommodation."
Yuna said with a smile.
"No. I’ll book it."
I waved my hand to stop Yuna. Every time we go to a hotel or eat out lately, Yuna and Nahyun have been covering the costs. Even when I try to spend my own money, they forcibly stop me. If this keeps up, I’m going to die without ever having spent this money.
"How many nights are you staying?"
"Hmm, 3 nights and 4 days? It’s cold, so we can take our time looking around Jeju."
"Got it. I’ll book the accommodation and the car rental."
"Where are you planning to stay?"
Yuna asked with a slightly worried expression.
"Hm? I was just going to look for a decent resort..."
"A resort?"
All three of them looked quite surprised.
"Yeah... wouldn't a resort be good for a family of four?"
The solo exploration fee for this C-rank Gate is 20 million won, plus separate incentives. I should just go with the mindset of spending the whole 20 million won...
"They should be here soon..."
I parked the car in front of the airport and waited for my family. The solo C-rank Gate exploration ended in just two days. The Gate was smaller than expected, and the monsters weren't particularly strong, so it finished quickly.
"Oh, Sunghyun~."
Nahyun waved happily as the glass doors opened in the distance. Yuna and Yoon Jihyun were following behind her.
"Yeah, over here."
We loaded the luggage into the rental car and headed straight for the resort.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I’m hungry... let’s drop off our bags and go eat right away."
"Sure."
Yuna was admiring the Jeju scenery out the window, and Yoon Jihyun was taking pictures non-stop.
"But where did you book the resort?"
"Hm? We’re almost there. You’ll see when we arrive."
I was secretly looking forward to their surprised reactions. The resort I booked is a high-end one that costs a whopping 1.9 million won per night. I searched through various resorts, but this one had the best reviews and looked the most appealing in the photos.
Man, even if I burn 5.7 million won for 3 nights, I earned way more than that in Jeju...
As we got closer to the resort, Yuna said in a trembling voice, "Su... wait, Sunghyun, is that it?"
"Yeah. Once summer ends, they have heated pools and outdoor baths, so we can play in the water."
"So that’s why you told us to bring swimsuits."
"Isn't this place super expensive?"
Yuna was stunned by the ridiculously luxurious-looking resort, while Nahyun and Jihyun were busy taking photos.
"Yeah... this is where we’re staying."
True to a high-end resort, we handed the car over for valet parking and arrived at our room on a shuttle provided by the resort. The room was 28 pyeong (approx. 1,000 sq ft) with floors made of high-end stone—I’m not sure if it was marble or something else—and it was equipped with all sorts of antique furniture, a steam sauna, and a large cypress bathtub.
There were two bedrooms, and we could sleep in the living room too, so sleeping arrangements weren't an issue. We probably wouldn't be able to have sex, but this trip was meant for family bonding, so it didn't matter. Actually, I’ve been doing it so much lately that I think I can hold off for 3 nights and 4 days. If I can't hold it, I’ll just ask them to use their mouths.
"Wow..."
"Holy..."
"Daebak..."
Watching the three women marvel at the interior of the resort, I felt a surge of pride.
After dropping off our bags, we went to a nearby place to eat black pork, and afterward, we put on our swimsuits to enjoy the heated pool. They told me to go ahead and grab a spot, so I was waiting for them.
"Not many people here... nice."
I dipped my feet in the water, and the temperature was perfectly warm for playing in the cold weather.
"Oh my, what is this... the pool is so pretty."
"Mom! Sister! The pool water is really warm!"
"Our little brother worked hard..."
Just then, the three women arrived and dipped their feet in the water.
"Wow... did you three coordinate your outfits?"
"Yeah, we bought some cheap ones while we were at it. How is it?"
Nahyun, who had been dipping her legs in the water, walked toward me with a bright smile.
"It's... it's the best."
The violent and lewd curves of their bodies, which were impossible to hide even with rash guards, were pushing right through the fabric. I started to feel the gazes of the men around us shifting toward us. For some reason, a sense of superiority welled up inside me.
"Mom! Sister! Hurry up and get in!"
Hmm, just looking at them is enough... I really felt like I made the right choice coming here.
After finishing our swim, we returned to the resort to wash up and were going to go out for dinner, but everyone seemed exhausted from playing so hard in the water, so we ate at the buffet inside the resort, returned to our room, and drank some alcohol.
"Jihyun, aren't you drinking too much?"
"The CSAT is over now, so I’m going to drink every day..."
Yoon Jihyun downed six cans of beer and started getting tipsy. She has a lower tolerance than I thought... We were having a happy, enjoyable conversation. It was clearly a very happy moment, but there was one strange thing.
They’re a bit close...
Ever since Yoon Jihyun got drunk, she’s been clinging to me. It’s not just clinging; she seems dizzy and is rubbing her body against me while leaning on me. I could just brush it off as her drunken habit, but what’s even stranger is that Yuna and Nahyun are watching this situation with sly, giggling smiles. A chill started to run down my spine.
The events from our last beach trip flashed through my mind. No way...
I looked down, and Yoon Jihyun had her eyes closed, rubbing her face against my arm. I looked back up at Nahyun and Yuna, and they were wearing slightly sinister smiles, like scientists watching an experiment go exactly as planned.
No... it can't be.
Amidst the unsettling feeling, I downed the rest of my beer.
We put the drunk Yoon Jihyun to bed first, drank a little more, and then wrapped things up for the next day, each going to wash up and head to bed. This suite had one large room with twin beds and one room with a single bed. The three of them decided to sleep in the large room, and I decided to sleep alone in the other room.
Since I returned home, this was the first time the whole family had gathered for a trip, so it felt new, and I felt proud of myself. I should come here often in the future...
Yuna didn't provide her usual "night service" tonight, but perhaps because of the alcohol or the cozy atmosphere, I fell asleep quickly.
"Hmm..."
How long had I been asleep? The room was so dark I couldn't see a thing. I woke up because I felt something touching my body.
"Hm?"
I reached out and touched a waist, feeling the texture of long hair that reached down to it.
"Sister? When did you get here?"
"..."
Nahyun didn't answer. No way... did she sneak into my room because she couldn't hold it anymore? But since the room was right next to the big one, it was obvious we’d get caught if we made any noise.
"Then... why don't we go outside and do it?"
As her soft hand stroked my abs, my body heated up. In the end, I thought about going outside since it was dark.
We have the car, so... we can go somewhere nearby...
"Hm?"
I stroked her waist, but something felt strange. It felt slightly different from Nahyun’s touch.
"Huh?"