Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Lee Ji-ah (4)
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“Hyun-woo, mind if I step out for a sec? You go ahead and chat with the boss.”
Lee Ji-ah excused herself to me before hurrying out of the shop.
Thud thud thud!
The boss and Park Ji-young came galloping over like a pair of young foals.
“Kim Hyun-woo! Hey, you punk! What the hell was that?!”
“Oppa! That was Lee Ji-ah just now, right? Right?!”
I nodded to the two of them chirping away like baby birds eyeing their mom.
“Eek! Looked like you two were getting pretty cozy...”
“It's not like that.”
“We heard everything, and you say it's not?”
Pfft.
Park Ji-young let out a knowing, considerate chuckle.
“Well, if you say so, oppa.”
I ignored Park Ji-young's pointless attempt at empathy. That wasn't the point.
“Hyung, there's something I need to tell you.”
“Yeah? Is it important?”
“Yeah, kinda...”
Now that I was going to work with Lee Ji-ah, I wouldn't be able to come to Bastard Cafe anymore. I had to let them know ahead of time. Looked like that's why she'd stepped out, too.
“Save that for later and spill the tea first.”
“...”
They didn't seem interested in hearing it. The two kept grilling me about Lee Ji-ah.
“How the hell should I know?”
Every time, I just said I didn't know. I'd only met her yesterday—what would I know about her gaming habits?
Then the boss and Park Ji-young started snapping at me.
“What do you mean you don't know?!”
“Oppa, aren't you being a bit much?”
“...?”
As we huddled together chattering away, the door burst open. Lee Ji-ah strode in grandly, a shopping bag slung over her shoulder.
“Heh heh, welcome back, Lee Ji-ah Hunter-nim.”
The boss greeted her obsequiously, rubbing his hands together. Lee Ji-ah marched right up and grabbed my wrist firmly.
“I'm taking Hyun-woo with me.”
Lee Ji-ah declared to the boss.
“Wha...? What did you say?”
The boss blinked back in confusion.
He'd thought she was some crazy chick, only to find out she was an S-rank hunter—and not just that, she knew their part-timer. And now she was taking him away? No wonder he was flustered.
“What do you...?”
The boss looked at me, eyes pleading for an explanation. I just shrugged.
“Like I was trying to tell you earlier.”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
“I'm gonna be working with Ji-ah-ssi now. Looks like I'll have to quit the cafe.”
“You're dropping this on me the same day, you punk?!”
The boss yelled, fuming.
He had a point. Quitting out of the blue on the day itself would piss off anyone, boss or not.
“Hyun-woo-ssi, it's fine. Leave this to me.”
“No, it's my responsibility...”
“I told you. All you have to do is stay by my side.”
Ji-ah smiled brightly and stepped forward. She held out the shopping bag to the boss.
“What's this?”
The boss replied curtly. Lee Ji-ah was no longer just a customer now that she was poaching their precious employee.
“Take a look inside.”
The boss took the bag, eyeing it suspiciously.
“Gasp!”
His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
“It's severance pay. I added a little extra as a token of gratitude.”
What? What could possibly shock him like that?
Curious, I peeked inside too.
“...”
It was stuffed full of bundles of cash.
So that's what she went out for— to withdraw money?
Feeling my gaze, the boss yanked the bag behind his back. He flashed me an awkward grin.
“What are you still doing here? Go on, follow Lee Ji-ah Hunter-nim!”
“Hyung, the cafe...”
“Don't worry about it—just go! Scram!”
Terrified I'd ask for it back, the boss shooed me away urgently.
Approval granted.
Lee Ji-ah turned on her heel like there was nothing more to see. She tugged my wrist.
“Let's go, Hyun-woo-ssi.”
“Y-yes? Coming!”
Once outside, Lee Ji-ah made a call somewhere.
“Hello?”
Lee Ji-ah! Why the hell haven't you been picking up?! Do you know what kind of shitstorm's brewing out there?! Where are you right now!?
“I'm quitting the guild.”
...What?
“Quitting the guild. I'll wire the penalty fee right away.”
What the hell does that mean? You think we've been barely holding back the exploding internet backlash for whose sake?
The man on the phone was laying into her. Lee Ji-ah scoffed. She no longer cared about public opinion.
“I don't need that anymore. I've found a better way.”
Lee Ji-ah!!
“You were the one who forced me into the Abyss raid team, Guild Master. Handle it yourself.”
Click!
Lee Ji-ah said her piece and hung up. She put the smartphone back to her ear again.
Man, she's busy.
“Association President?”
The Association President this time?
...Miss Ji-ah? Where are you right now?
“That's not important. Association President, I looked into it myself. Out of all the rankers who got their ranks demoted in the Abyss raid, I'm the only one.”
That's...
“Save the excuses. I'm requesting the release of the on-site camera footage from back then, so send it over. Reschedule the hearing too.”
Didn't you say you didn't want to deal with the hearing?
“I did...”
Lee Ji-ah trailed off and glanced at my face.
“But it doesn't matter anymore.”
A weary sigh came through the receiver.
...You've changed all of a sudden. You sure you're really Miss Ji-ah?
“How many people even have your number, Association President?”
Alright. I'll coordinate the hearing schedule.
Click!
The call ended. Lee Ji-ah gripped her smartphone, her body trembling slightly.
“You okay?”
I asked worriedly.
Depression kicking in again? Even with me right here?
As I approached her with that concern, Lee Ji-ah suddenly stretched with a relieved expression.
“Ahhhhh!!”
Unable to contain her excitement, she beamed.
“Hyun-woo-ssi, Hyun-woo-ssi! Did you see that?!”
“Uh... yeah?”
“Me negotiating with the cafe boss, and giving the guild master and Association President a piece of my mind! You saw it, right?!”
“Y-yeah, I saw.”
What? Was that something to get so thrilled about?
Standing up for your rights wasn't anything special.
But apparently, it was for Lee Ji-ah.
She was bouncing with joy.
Just from having boldly said everything she needed to.
A faint glimmer of moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes. From the happiness and excitement.
“That exciting, huh?”
“Of course! It's all thanks to you, Hyun-woo-ssi!”
“What did I even do?”
I really hadn't done anything.
She'd handled everything herself—beating the drum and playing the cymbals solo.
Yet Lee Ji-ah thanked me sincerely.
Embarrassing.
Lee Ji-ah spun her car key around her index finger.
“Shall we do a test drive now?”
The luxury foreign car sped down the road.
Sitting in the driver's seat, I still couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality.
Good lord.
To think I'd get to drive a car like this someday.
Well, what did you expect from a top domestic ranker? No way she'd drive some cheap ride.
It made sense, but her next words caught me off guard a bit.
'This is for business support, but treat it like your own. Use it for personal stuff too—no worries about fuel or repairs.'
I'll cherish it forever, boss...!
“Oh, right. Ji-ah-ssi, where are we headed?”
I was following the navigation she'd set, but she hadn't said why.
Lee Ji-ah, checking her smartphone in the passenger seat, answered a beat late.
“The dorm you're gonna live in from now on.”
“Ah.”
Oh yeah, she'd said she'd provide housing too.
With pay like that, did I even need dorms?
“I could just find my own place—”
“No.”
Lee Ji-ah cut me off sternly.
Her sharp tone for the first time made my heart shrink.
S-rank was still S-rank, huh.
Couldn't let her cute act fool me.
Boss-employee dynamic aside.
She probably needed me for work.
“...You've been staring at something since earlier?”
Couldn't look away from the road, so I just flicked my eyes toward her smartphone.
Lee Ji-ah showed me her screen.
“This? Hate comments on some internet article about me. Now that I'm back, all kinds of crap are piling up. Check out how nasty they are compared to usual.”
Couldn't read them while driving, but words like bastard, fuck, whore jumped out.
“Uh? You sure it's okay to look at that?”
I asked worriedly.
Didn't get why someone who'd contemplated suicide over hate comments was browsing them now.
Obsessions flaring up again?
Lee Ji-ah giggled. Dimples deepened on her cheeks.
“Yeah. I'm fine, that's why I'm looking.”
“...?”
“When I was alone, even a little criticism would keep me up at night, make me tear up from anger...”
Lee Ji-ah met my eyes in the rearview mirror.
“But with you here, Hyun-woo-ssi, even worse hate doesn't faze me. It's so weird, I had to check.”
“...Sounds kinda off.”
“Does it?”
I could feel her trust. Got awkwardly embarrassed and scratched my nose tip.
“...I'm the one upset seeing the hate get worse. What's so fun about tormenting people?”
I meant it. The comments were brutally direct. Internet sentiment had swung heavily to her anti-fans.
Most top comments on the article were slamming her.
“Would've crushed me before. But now? Doesn't matter at all. I can overcome it now.”
“...”
Yeah.
Where else would I find someone who needs my ability like this?
An S-rank hunter, no less.
Way better than scraping by as a mediocre hunter.
I felt a faint swell of pride.
Like my life was about to flip upside down.
You have arrived at your destination. Navigation ending.
“We're here! Pull over here for a sec!”
Lee Ji-ah unbuckled and got out. I checked the side brake and followed.
“Whoa.”
A gasp slipped out. Massive mansions dotted the area sparsely.
Rich neighborhood, huh?
“Didn't we say we were going to your dorm?”
“Yeah.”
“Itaewon has dorms?”
“Of course.”
Wow.
Dorms in Itaewon?
How loaded was she to invest this much in one employee?
I was purely impressed.
“This is the dorm.”
Lee Ji-ah dragged me to the biggest house around. Something felt off.
“...Ji-ah-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“This really the dorm?”
“Yes.”
I checked the nameplate on the wall.
[Lee Ji-ah]
Her name on the dorm plaque?
I pointed at it.
“That's your nameplate, Ji-ah-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“Isn't this your house?”
“Yep, it is.”
Words kept bouncing off.
Ahem.
“So, Ji-ah-ssi, you said you were showing me the dorm, right?”
“Yes.”
“That's why we're here now.”
“Yes.”
“But this is your house?”
“Our house, yes.”
Caw—! Caw—!
Felt like crows were cawing in my head.
I ruffled my hair wildly and summed it up.
“So how does your house become my dorm?!”
Lee Ji-ah tilted her head at me.
“Because the dorm you're gonna live in is our house.”
“...?”
“...?”
Couldn't process it. Lee Ji-ah stared like what are you on about?
She asked.
“How big's your ability range, Hyun-woo-ssi?”
“Never tested properly, but if I focus, about the size of the Bastard Cafe shop.”
“Right? From our first meeting, it didn't apply to me right away, so I figured the range isn't huge.”
Lee Ji-ah laid it out point by point.
“Fine during work hours when we're together, but nights?”
“Uh...?”
“After you clock out. Even next door's outside range, and if you go to some far dorm, what about me?”
“Uh...?”
“I'd have to go back to those nights and weekends without you every single time.”
“Uh...?”
Lee Ji-ah smiled round and round.
Her eyes weren't smiling at all.
Deep, abyssal eyes peered into mine.
Like she was observing something inside me.
“I've already stirred up this much mess, and you want me to spend half a day without you?”
Our earlier talk flashed by.
'So, Ji-ah-ssi, you were planning to kill yourself originally?'
'When alone, even a bit of criticism kept me up, made me cry from anger...'
'...Hate's gotten worse, and it upsets me.'
'This? Hate comments on my article. Back now, all sorts piling up. Way nastier than usual.'
Right.
Lee Ji-ah had ditched her guild—the shield against the normies. Stood against the Association President.
Even knowing how the media would spin it against her.
Why would the Lee Ji-ah who feared and obsessed over hate take such a reckless gamble?
Only one reason.
Me.
With me by her side, she could live free of depression and obsessions.
Snapped to like my head dunked in ice water.
Our ideas of “work” differed.
I'd assumed work and private life separate.
Not her.
She wanted my whole life.
Finally got that insane salary.
'Pay's this much, plus housing and car. No vacation probably, but easy work—'
No vacation.
Clues everywhere.
I'd just missed them.
Chill ran down my spine.
“J-Ji-ah-ssi, about our contract, maybe we review—”
Suddenly, Lee Ji-ah leaped into my arms. She whispered softly in my ear.
“...No backing out now.”
Sweet gesture that could fool anyone into thinking we were lovers. But her words carried a totally different vibe.
“I'm an S-rank hunter, after all.”
Lee Ji-ah smiled sweetly, but intimidatingly.
Her eyes still weren't smiling.