Legendary Designer Choi Nari (10)
After an intense round of sex with Choi Nari, I left her place. I could have just crashed there for the night, but it wasn't just the two of us in that house. Even though I'd given her friend the fundamental treatment, she hadn't fully recovered yet. Choi Nari would need to focus on the follow-up care, so it was best for me to bow out at this point.
I went to a hotel instead of my studio apartment, just as I'd planned. Lying on the bed, I pulled out my phone and did some searching. I'd been thinking about moving out of the studio, but then it hit me—there was someone way better at this stuff than I was.
I messaged Choi Yunmi. Told her I wanted to find an apartment. She asked for a little time.
About twenty minutes later, as I was scrolling through YouTube, my phone started buzzing nonstop with incoming messages. They were files from Choi Yunmi—listings for apartments on the market. Not just photos, either. She'd included estimated sale prices, plus her own take on the pros and cons for each one.
I couldn't tell if these were prepped files she'd had ready or if she'd just pulled them together on the spot. Probably both. She didn't just supply hunters with gear and weapons; she handled full-service support. Hell, she'd even helped me seize Kang Mancheol's company and track down the guy after he vanished.
Her grasp of the hunter world's info and her resourcefulness were beyond anything I could imagine.
I went through the materials she'd sent one by one. I'd messed up by not giving her any criteria, but every place in those photos was impressive. My standards had shot up after seeing Choi Nari's penthouse, yet these houses and apartments didn't feel a step behind at all.
I'd originally planned to upgrade from the studio to a 30-to-40-pyeong apartment—about 1,000 to 1,300 square feet. Figured I'd settle in there first, then hunt for a long-term spot later. But looking at what Choi Yunmi sent, I didn't see the point in half-measures.
Timing was the only issue. Destiny had me living large anyway. It wasn't just because every S-rank hunter did; with money overflowing, there was no reason not to. Sure, big places were a hassle to maintain, but I didn't have to do it myself. Even without hiring staff, sorcery could handle it easily. I hadn't learned the tricks yet, but Kang A-jin could teach me in no time.
'This is fun. Real fun.'
After chasing crises nonstop, kicking back like this felt pretty damn good. No reason not to enjoy the money and status.
I picked the one that caught my eye most from Choi Yunmi's list. A luxury apartment in the 150-pyeong range—around 5,000 square feet—with an estimated price of 300 to 400 billion won. Absurdly expensive, but it was built specifically for hunters, packed with the latest tech.
Dungeon outbreaks had transformed human society in all sorts of ways, but the tech boom stood out most. Facilities loaded with cutting-edge stuff like that naturally came at a premium.
It was a whole new world I hadn't bothered with before. And now, I had every qualification to step into it. If I wanted, I could even take center stage.
"Of course. I've only ever lived in studios, so I don't know the first thing about this."
"Yeah... I've been a bit... Things around me have been moving way too fast."
Only now, talking to Choi Yunmi, did I realize I'd skipped the most important update. We'd parted after dinner earlier. Then I'd gone to Choi Nari's with her to see her friend. I hesitated on how to explain—maybe edit it to skip the part about heading to Choi Nari's place. But I didn't want to lie to Choi Yunmi. Our thing with Choi Nari would come out soon enough anyway.
Describing exactly how I'd treated her friend would be tricky, though. No need to get into the nitty-gritty with Choi Yunmi.
"Nari agreed to join our company. Looks like we don't have to worry about this anymore."
"Oh, really?"
Landing Choi Nari didn't mean we were ready to launch the company. Even I, who knew zilch about the gear business, understood technicians were core to it. Basic logic said they mattered more than designers, even. I'd learned after digging into Choi Nari that designers were just as crucial.
"Yeah, makes sense."
"Haha, I'm honored."
I doubled down on my resolve not to mention sleeping with Choi Nari today. Better to end on this high note.
The next day, Kim Eun-bi messaged me asking about yesterday. Considering her personality, she'd shown real patience. I should've at least texted her—I'd dropped the ball there.
"Yeah, it went great."
I was in the middle of room service breakfast, nothing else pressing, so I filled Kim Eun-bi in on yesterday morning-style—clear and straightforward. But that made it more detailed than necessary.
She started off amazed, but then silence from her end.
"Eun-bi? You there?"
"Huh?"
The question came out of left field, but I got it—she meant did I sleep with Choi Nari. Better to face it head-on than dodge.
"Yeah... Sorry."
A heavy, conflicted sigh. Yeah, figured. This was the second time I'd slept with one of her friends. And our first hookup had gotten messy with her cousin Kim Seol-bi.
"Thanks for understanding."
"For real?"
"Nice~~"
"Ahem."
In the end, Kim Eun-bi hung up without promising not to tell Kim Seol-bi about me and Choi Nari. Complicated feelings, but selfishly, it wasn't so bad. Saved me the awkward direct convo with Kim Seol-bi.
By the time I finished eating, my phone buzzed again. A message with a photo attached.
In it, Choi Nari was smiling with her friend. The friend still had no hair and was gaunt—far from what you'd call a girl's face. But she was smiling in the photo. It sent a shiver through my heart.
My abilities bringing joy to others. I'd approached Choi Nari for business reasons at first. Treating her friend had been a spur-of-the-moment call.
But seeing them both grinning like that hit harder than expected. I couldn't predict where my path would lead, but I wanted more moments like this.
I replied with a smiling emoji.
'Today...'
With the Choi Nari recruitment squared away, it was time to target a technician.