Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: S-Class Self-Employed Person
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Kim Yu-jeong showed outstanding results in practical training, but her basic knowledge of Awakeners and Gates was lacking.
She hadn't been an Awakener for long, so it might not be all that strange for her knowledge to be deficient.
But the peculiar part was that she didn't know even the common knowledge any civilian would, yet she knew things she had no business knowing.
"When did the Great Cataclysm happen?"
"......"
"Eight years ago from now."
Even though he was looking right at Kim Yu-jeong as he asked, she naturally averted her gaze, and another trainee sitting nearby answered instead.
"Yes, correct. Before that, guilds in our country were just affiliates under the Center. After that, the famous guilds we know today were established. So, what are the ways to close a Gate? Yu-jeong, why don't you tell us?"
"Uh...... Eliminate the boss, or destroy the symbol."
"Right. How long does it take for a Gate to close?"
"......It closed right away, didn't it?"
"Me! In the case of a boss dungeon, the Gate takes at least 10 minutes to close, but for symbols, it closes immediately!!"
Once again, it was the trainee next to her who answered.
Kim Yu-jeong was looking at that trainee with eyes full of gentle warmth.
Not long after answering, the trainee shot her hand up again.
"For precursor Gates, destroying the symbol is the main return method, and you have to be within a certain range of the final destroyer to return!"
"Yes, correct. So the difference between boss dungeons and symbol dungeons is—"
"Yes!! Boss dungeons have a Gate entrance, so once you clear the boss, you exit through the initial passage you entered. If clearing is tough, you can exit midway, and as long as you come out within the time given after boss clear, there's plenty of leeway! Symbol dungeons, on the other hand, have the Gate close the moment you destroy it, so no time buffer! Plus, comparing the two, boss dungeons usually have higher clear difficulty!!"
"......Yes, well done. But there are exceptions—"
"Red Gates!! Red Gates lock you in until you clear them!! Ack!!"
The instructor overseeing the training was momentarily overcome with doubt amid the trainee's lava-hot enthusiasm.
'......Are trainees these days trending to surpass their instructors......? Nothing left to teach......?'
The trainee who had left the instructor speechless turned to Kim Yu-jeong with a smug face.
The trainee harbored a sense of rivalry toward Kim Yu-jeong.
She couldn't stand that someone with a lower rank than her and deficient theory knowledge was getting higher evaluations just because she'd shown decent guiding skills.
"Waaah."
But the person in question was just clapping with an utterly indifferent expression.
Unable to contain her anger at the pitying reaction, the trainee flushed red and bit her lip.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Whew, what a relief. I was scared she'd call on me.'
I have no idea how anxious I was when the instructor kept glancing my way—did I mess up something?
Maybe because I always bolted right after practice ended. Or was it that time I forgot to greet her?
As all sorts of worries piled up and I kept my mouth shut, pretending not to know, she finally called my name directly.
Saving me from that pinch was the person next to me. Her kindness in stepping in like she'd noticed my predicament left me in awe.
'Is she an angel?'
The classes were decent enough as long as no questions came my way.
Compared to school studies, it felt like a fantasy novel, and it was fun listening while contrasting it with the stories I'd heard.
After finishing the theory and practical sessions held two or three times a week, my routine was to head straight to the cafe and work.
Cafe operations, which could have been chaotic during this important time with unexpected mandatory training thrown into the mix, were going smoothly thanks to the new part-timer, Kang Min-ji.
"Boss! We're low on qua jam—got any extras?"
"Should be in the back of that drawer."
Kang Min-ji was a capable worker who learned ten things from one explanation. Her long experience as a cafe part-timer showed; she mastered drink prep after just one demo.
And that wasn't all. She even suggested sales strategies to me, like selling qua fruit syrup and jam alongside our signature pies.
She'd learned qua fruit was great for beauty and health, and demand had spiked with people wanting to buy it separately.
We tried selling it in pretty glass jars once, and it sold better than expected. Lately, we'd even added no-sugar yogurt that pairs perfectly with qua jam.
"The yogurt's selling well too."
"It's trending these days. And we're the only place selling qua jam. Word's getting around."
Anyway, thanks to that, I could often leave the shop to her and attend classes.
I'd prep desserts and syrups in advance, and as long as we avoided peak hours, she handled things fine alone.
"By the way, Boss, what're you gonna do three months from now?"
Right, the real issue was three months later.
With a part-timer and cafe holidays, attending classes wasn't a problem.
The problem was how to handle the mandatory service period after training ended.
"Will I get fired right after starting a job?"
"If you don't go......"
"Boss, you're too promising to become a criminal."
"......Min-ji, truth is, I'm not actually a Guide."
"Whoa, you're the first C-rank or higher Awakener I've met in person. No wonder you seemed extraordinary from the dungeon onward."
"Hey? Are you even listening?"
"Ah, for lunch, could you make those jam sandwiches again with the stuff you made last time? I've had zero constipation since eating qua jam. Boss, you're the best! How'd you even come up with this?"
"......"
On her first day working at the cafe, Kang Min-ji told me to drop the formalities.
I went along with it since she said it'd be more comfortable, but oddly, she became even more casual than me after I did.
"......Ah."
Kang Min-ji's chattering stopped only after a familiar regular entered the shop.
The cafe went quiet in an instant as all eyes turned to one spot.
'More customers are eating in instead of takeout these days......'
The influx was partly because we were the first shop with qua fruit desserts, but a few regulars' popularity probably helped too.
"Damn, no seats again today?"
Seo Yun-ho, still hiding his face with a black hat and mask, scanned the cafe briefly and scowled.
I gave him a hollow smile at his subtle glance my way.
"Business booming lately, huh?"
"Well...... thanks to you......"
"Heh, yeah right! Gotta be super grateful to me. My account's kinda famous, you know."
He shrugged, recalling how he'd recommended my cafe on his old account.
Thrusting his chest out like a duck convinced the world revolves around him—he looked utterly majestic.
Seo Yun-ho used to get takeout nonstop early on, but after I figured out who he was, he started eating inside.
Lately, though, with no seats available, he grumbled at the counter every time.
I wonder if he knew his presence was a big reason dine-in customers were increasing.
"Wow, Esper Seo Yun-ho looks so handsome again today! Scary vibe from that fierce face, but that's the charm."
Kang Min-ji whispered in my ear.
Just as she said, it had been a while since we'd figured out Seo Yun-ho was coming to our cafe.
She'd pointed out that bulky build and flashy looks couldn't be fully hidden by just a hat and mask.
Plus, he was a fairly famous Esper with his face public, so anyone with even mild interest in Espers would recognize him.
'And whose fault is it there are no seats?'
Seo Yun-ho usually came on Wednesdays, and after that, Wednesdays saw a huge rush of dine-in customers.
But since no one had approached him yet despite the stares, word must've spread about his prickly personality.
"Why block the line without ordering? Sis, one qua latte to go."
A high school girl in uniform boldly shoved aside Seo Yun-ho, who was bragging nonstop about his contributions at the counter.
Her name was Jo Ye-na. She was the kind student who'd picked up cup holders for me back when I was swamped alone during our SNS hype in the early days, and she was an Esper too.
I'd learned that then from her control bracelet, issued by the Center for C-rank and above Espers, but now that her Center training was over, it was gone from her wrist.
Anyway, she lived nearby and kept coming back, so we'd exchanged names.
"What the? This little pea."
Seo Yun-ho furrowed one eyebrow, offended at being pushed aside. Here's where the issue lay: Jo Ye-na had quite the temper.
Tiny face, big round black eyes. With her small-dog-like innocent look, Jo Ye-na's personality matched—a total spitfire.
Like a veteran brawler always ready for a fight. I'd learned that last time.
A male customer in the cafe had been hitting on Jo Ye-na. Pretty face, figured he'd try for her number.
But she was a high schooler, and he looked at least late twenties.
I was watching, ready to step in if needed, when his hand slid from her shoulder to her waist.
"-Are your ears blocked!! Get lost before I block your other holes too!!!"
And a suplex went down.