A Weekend Visit to the Senior's Home

Looking at the news spreading across all kinds of media outlets and online communities, my head began to throb. Now that the mining of the mana crystal mine had begun in earnest, it seemed the Association had reported it to the International Hunter Association. Thanks to that, the news naturally spread not only domestically but also worldwide. And because my name was tied to it, interview requests were flooding in from everywhere. It was completely overwhelming, to the point where I had to get a new phone number. Of course, the reporters didn't give up. Since they couldn't reach me, they interviewed other Association employees to scrape together whatever information they could, then churned out articles about me as they pleased. Because they wrote those articles based solely on hearsay from other employees, there were so many distortions that it was getting out of hand.

When I entered the 'K-Hunter Gallery,' the reactions were even more blatant. Given the nature of online communities, my personal information had already been mostly exposed. Some people were suddenly speculating whether I was a regressor. There were all sorts of conspiracy theories, and for some reason, even posts slandering me. I clicked on one of them.

Perhaps because they had hooked onto a juicy topic, the 'K-Hunter Gallery' was completely ablaze. I didn't understand why they were so fired up over me when I wasn't even a hunter. The Divine Shin Clan was already one of the most frequently discussed topics on the gallery. Now that rumors of me being a member of that family were spreading, the situation was spiraling out of control.

"Sigh... I don't know anymore."

Thinking about it any further wasn't going to make me feel any better. Other people's reactions were beyond my control, so I simply turned off the screen. If I kept staring at this all day, I'd end up losing my mind. Besides, it was a rare weekend without work, and I couldn't spend it like this.

Though, in truth, I already had plans today that were practically an extension of work.

"Sigh... it's almost time."

Today was the day I was supposed to meet Kim Hee-yeon. I had hoped to get treated to an omakase or a hotel buffet, but she said she had prepared a place herself. Just the thought of meeting my senior on the weekend was stressful. I figured I should at least eat a lot to make it worth my while.

"Where was the address again... Gwanak-gu? It's not too far."

Looking at the address Kim Hee-yeon had sent, it wasn't that far. But was there anything good to eat in Gwanak-gu? I was hoping for an expensive meal. For now, when the time came, I set off for the address she had provided.

"...There's a restaurant here?"

However, as I drew closer to the meeting spot, doubts began to creep in. Rather than a commercial district with restaurants, it was an area densely packed with studio apartments. At best, there were only convenience stores or franchise fast-food joints. Surely not...

"Ah, Jiwoo!"

When I was almost there, I saw Kim Hee-yeon waving her hand from a distance. She was standing in front of an officetel building. No matter how I looked at it, this was the meeting spot, but it definitely wasn't a restaurant.

"...Assistant Manager, is this your place?"

"Yep!"

Kim Hee-yeon nodded vigorously. I didn't understand why she looked so proud of it.

"...Didn't you say you were going to buy me dinner?"

"I said I'd make you dinner. Back then, when I said I'd cook for you myself, you said okay."

"I did?"

Did I really say that? Could it have been what I blurted out while answering my sister's phone call? Finally realizing the true nature of today's appointment, I swiped a hand down my face. As if meeting a senior for dinner on the weekend wasn't bad enough, now I was entering her house. This was bad. A foreboding premonition washed over me.

Common sense dictated that a senior inviting a junior to their home on the weekend was never out of pure goodwill. She was undoubtedly calling me over to do some heavy lifting or deep cleaning. It was less common in our team, but hearing stories from employees in other teams, it happened quite often. Employee Kim from Dungeon Management Team 2 had once babysat his team leader's kid on the weekend. A rookie in the IT department had even cleaned the bathroom at the deputy general manager's house. Does that sound absurd? Anyone who has experienced corporate life would know. A similar case is the department manager who drags team members out for hiking trips every weekend under the guise of 'fostering unity.' Which of the two is worse (though both are awful) is a matter of personal preference.

Since Kim Hee-yeon didn't have children, it had to be something else. Either way, she was bound to use this opportunity to make me do some dirty or exhausting chore she had been putting off.

"Uh, well. Don't you think visiting your home is a bit much? Let's just grab something simple nearby. I didn't realize I'd be coming to your house, so I didn't bring any housewarming gift or anything."

"It's fine! I invited you so I could cook for you. Come on in. You live alone too, right, Jiwoo? I bet you don't eat proper meals."

"Ah, no, I..."

Kim Hee-yeon grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. Her question about living alone was all too transparent. The probability of this being a deep-cleaning chore shot up by about ten percent.

"Come on, get in!"

In the end, unable to escape, I was dragged into Kim Hee-yeon's home. It was a decently sized, newly built loft officetel. The interior showed a clear effort to make it look aesthetically pleasing. With a place this size, couldn't she just clean it herself?

"Sigh... what should I do first?"

Left with no choice, I began rolling up my sleeves, but Kim Hee-yeon caught my arm.

"What do you mean, 'do'? You're a guest. Just sit over there and wait. I'm going to change into some comfortable clothes."

Kim Hee-yeon practically forced me to sit at the table and then headed up to the loft. She was definitely trying to lower my guard ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before dropping the bomb. Even for Kim Hee-yeon, her conscience probably pricked her at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the thought of making me work the moment I arrived. Her wanting to change into comfortable clothes also meant she was going to make me do the work while she relaxed.

While Kim Hee-yeon was changing, I took a brief look around the apartment.

"Does she work out...?"

Perhaps she was a gym enthusiast, as a corner of the room was neatly arranged with workout clothes like leggings and a foam roller. On the shelf next to the refrigerator, protein powders and various supplements were lined up. It seemed she also ate a lot of salads and chicken breasts. I recalled thinking before that she seemed to take great care of her body.

"Jiwoo, just stay put. I'm the one cooking today."

Just then, Kim Hee-yeon came down from the loft. As I turned my head, her unexpected attire made me choke on my own spit.

"Cough, cough... Assistant Manager?"

"Hmm?"

Kim Hee-yeon looked toward me as she tied her hair. As her long black hair was gathered up, her pale nape was exposed. But more than that, my gaze was drawn slightly lower.

She was wearing a tight white short-sleeved T-shirt and black dolphin shorts. The top had a fairly deep neckline, and her black bra was clearly visible underneath. This was an outfit I felt like I'd seen a lot on certain YouTube channels. Not knowing where to look, my eyes darted around awkwardly.

"A-ah, it's nothing. More importantly, what are you..."

"I told you I'd cook for you. I'm making spicy stir-fried pork and kimchi stew. I even went grocery shopping yesterday for this!"

Clenching her fists with determination, Kim Hee-yeon began pulling ingredients out of the fridge. Looking around the room again, there didn't seem to be any place that particularly needed cleaning. Could she really have invited me over just to feed me?

Kim Hee-yeon quickly began cooking. I sat blankly at the dining table, watching her back as she worked.

"Jiwoo, do you usually cook for yourself at home?"

"Y-yes, well. I cook occasionally."

Kim Hee-yeon asked casually while cooking. However, I couldn't easily focus on the conversation. My eyes kept drifting to her back as she moved. Because the white T-shirt clung tightly to her body, her delicate shoulders and slender waist were fully emphasized. Consequently, her wide hips stood out even more, and the dolphin shorts tightly hugged her ample rear. Below the shorts, the bottom curve of her buttocks peeked out slightly, and her thick, firm thighs filled the fabric to its limit. It was a body far too provocative to ignore. Even when I tried to look away, my eyes naturally gravitated back to her figure.

Barely snapping out of it, I threw out a question.

"Y-you seem to work out a lot."

"Yeah. Just going to the gym every day, I guess?"

"It looks like you've been doing it for quite a while. How long has it been?"

"I've been doing it since I was a junior employee... so about four years?"

If she had been consistently hitting the gym for four years, her physique made perfect sense. It wasn't just natural curves; I could see the firm foundation of muscle beneath.

"When I first moved to Seoul, I really wanted to live diligently. I wanted to work hard, earn money, do self-improvement, and work out consistently to become an amazing person. But work is so exhausting that now I'm barely scraping by. I used to study for certifications and English, but now, just working out is exhausting enough. I feel like I've gotten so lazy."

"That sounds plenty diligent to me. You even cook your own meals at home."

Hearing her story, my opinion of Kim Hee-yeon shifted slightly. I suppose most office workers of this era were like this. Far from having a work-life balance, they couldn't even take proper vacations, making it difficult to improve their professional skills. Just surviving the daily onslaught of overtime was enough to leave anyone exhausted. Perhaps everyone was like Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon. They all probably started out with burning passion as rookies, but with the overwhelming workload, they simply lacked the time to study anything else. I felt a pang of guilt for having criticized her in my head for being incompetent.

"Alright, it's all done."

Having whipped up the stir-fried pork and kimchi stew in no time, Kim Hee-yeon began setting the table. There was a plate of glistening, savory stir-fried pork made from pork belly. Beside it was a bubbling earthenware pot of kimchi stew, thick with broth and loaded with more pork belly. With a few side dishes like seasoned greens and bowls of white rice, it was a spread that rivaled any hotel buffet.

"Wow..."

"Here, try some."

The presentation was easily on par with a popular local diner. Kim Hee-yeon leaned forward over the table, looking at me with an expectant expression.

"T-thank you for the meal."

I first placed a piece of stir-fried pork on a spoonful of rice and popped it into my mouth. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was a textbook, delicious stir-fried pork. It was tasty enough that I could easily empty three bowls of rice with it.

"I-it's really good. You're a great cook."

"R-really? Try this too."

At my praise, Kim Hee-yeon began piling various side dishes onto my rice. In an instant, I devoured three bowls of rice along with the pork and stew.

"That was a great meal... It was truly delicious."

"Is that so? I'm glad."

They say the three main desires are appetite, sleep, and sex. Since it was the weekend, I had slept plenty. And just now, I had eaten to my heart's content. For some reason, my eyes kept drifting toward Kim Hee-yeon's chest, which was resting on the table.

"Go sit on the sofa. I'll bring some fruit."

"Y-yes, alright."

My mind was growing a bit hazy, but at her voice, I stood up somewhat awkwardly. Then, I quickly turned around and sat on the sofa. Ahem. Adjusting my posture, I tried to act natural. A moment later, Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon approached, holding a plate of fruit. Because the space was narrow, she tried to squeeze past me.

"Let me just squeeze by... oh—"

"Huh?"

But she lost her balance and fell, landing right on my lap. As her buttocks and thighs pressed close to my groin, the posture adjustment I had just made became completely meaningless. It was hard to tear my eyes away from her slender waist—which I wanted to wrap my hands around right now—and the deep curve of her wide hips.

"T-the space is a bit tight. I'll peel the fruit for you."

"In this position?"

"Yeah. If I sit on the floor to peel it, the table is too high and it's uncomfortable."

But there was plenty of space right next to me on the sofa. However, those words remained trapped in my throat. As she peeled the fruit, her hips shifted, gradually pressing closer. Eventually, my lower abdomen made direct contact with her backside. Kim Hee-yeon flinched slightly, as if she felt something hard, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she continued peeling the fruit in that exact position.

"Y-your waist is really slender. I feel like I could hold it in one hand."

I had no idea why I was saying this, but the words just slipped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out. My head was burning, and my filter had completely vanished.

"N-not one hand, but maybe two? Since your hands are big, Jiwoo..."

After that, neither of us spoke for a while. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The only sound in the room was the quiet scraping of the knife peeling the fruit. Then, Kim Hee-yeon spoke again.

"D-do you want to try holding it?"

"Your waist?"

Her tight white T-shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing glimpses of her bare skin and the deep indentation of her spinal curve. Below that lay her wide hips. This slender waist was definitely something I could wrap both of my hands around. If I held her waist in this position, it would look exactly like—

"Yeah."

Kim Hee-yeon set the plate down and turned her head slightly to look back at me. Her cheeks and ears were flushed a deep, burning red.