Chapter 43: A Harmonious Meal
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: A Harmonious Meal
After receiving the data from Kim Yun-ah, I found myself with nothing left to do.
Whether she had truly decided to join forces with me or not, she handed over everything—not just the hidden documents, but even the specific methods she used to manipulate them.
Just as Won Tae-hun said, digging into Kim Yun-ah pretty much solved the whole thing.
I should buy her something expensive later.
Since the investigation has already been handed over to the audit team, it will be difficult for Kim Yun-ah to step in and hush it up on her own. I instructed her to prepare materials that could counter the audit team’s findings.
Then, I passed all the data I’d obtained to Han Ju-hee and asked her to prepare her own set of documents as well.
I didn’t tell Han Ju-hee that Kim Yun-ah was now on my side; I simply asked her to keep up the surveillance.
I don’t trust Kim Yun-ah, of course, but I don’t fully trust Han Ju-hee either.
The human heart changes easily, and it’s even easier for it to succumb to blackmail or desire.
It’s not that I don’t trust Han Ju-hee as a person, but if Park Sung-jun decides to put the squeeze on her, a powerless woman like her has no choice. I’ll compare the materials sent by both and only use what I can verify as safe.
Hmm... I guess I really am a bit spooked.
I lay back on my bed and sigh.
No matter how much of a seasoned veteran I was in my previous world, I’m a nobody here.
My stats are lacking, I have no reliable connections or channels, and I have no comrades. Even if I have Song Ha-el, our relationship is still shallow and new; she can’t protect me twenty-four hours a day.
And the level of the attackers here is just too high.
If Park Sung-jun actually decides to target my life, things will get very difficult. If Han So-ye were to suddenly burst through the front door and lunged at me, I might be helplessly overpowered.
I tuck a pistol loaded with live ammunition under my pillow.
At this rate, I won't even be able to blackmail Park Sung-jun properly.
It might be better to either break through the audit team's investigation head-on or use Park Su-jin to have her quash the investigation entirely.
Then there’s the question of whether to save Kim Yun-ah or not...
To push through the investigation, I have to argue that the data was fabricated. If I do that, Kim Yun-ah, the one who did the fabricating, will take the hit. I need at least one ally on the inside, so it’ll be awkward if she’s discarded.
But it’s also awkward to trust her and keep working together.
Maybe I should save her life once and try to domesticate her a bit more.
Unable to find a definitive answer, I sigh and stand up.
If only he had pulled this stunt a month later, I would have knocked on Square Garden’s door without a second thought. Even if I went to Square Garden now, I’d be going there to be protected, making it hard to demand anything from Lee Ru-da.
What I want is the authority to act freely, but instead of authority, I’d probably just be told to shut up and do as I’m told.
I thought Park Sung-jun was being impatient, but looking at it this way, his timing is actually impeccable.
I take ingredients out of the refrigerator and prepare to cook.
No matter the time or place, one must eat properly and stay full. Is it too cliché to call that a truth learned from living over forty years?
Regardless, a good, delicious meal nourishes the spirit and provides the energy to live through the day.
I skillfully prep the ingredients to make sundubu-jjigae and a simple batch of bulgogi. Today, I think I’ll cook the meat until it’s a bit charred to give it a charcoal-grilled feel.
Just then, my sharply honed presence detection picks something up.
Still holding the kitchen knife, I slide toward the bed and grab the pistol.
Fire extinguisher explosion, gas lines, water pipes. No presence by the window, sniper points clear, floor, exterior walls, rooftop.
While my eyes are fixed on the front door, my mind rapidly maps out an escape route.
Aiming the gun at the door, I set the kitchen knife down and pick up my smartphone to check the CCTV I secretly installed in the hallway.
Since this is a corridor-style officetel, I see someone standing in front of my door among the long row of entrances.
It’s a girl with mysterious silver hair tied in a ponytail.
"Yoon A-young...?"
Given her relationship with the body's original owner, she should be trustworthy. However, Park Sung-jun might have used his silver tongue to deceive an innocent girl, so I don’t lower my guard.
But Yoon A-young acted so normally that I felt bad for doubting her.
She hesitates, hand hovering as if to knock, before pulling back in contemplation. I can’t see clearly, but she’s fiddling with her phone, typing something furiously, then shaking her head and deleting it all.
Is she trying to call or text me?
Taking a deep breath, she prepares to knock again, but when someone else approaches in the hallway, she hurriedly pulls her hand away and pretends to be doing nothing.
She probably thinks she’s hiding it well, but someone standing perfectly still in a long hallway of doors is actually quite creepy. The man passing by her gives her a second look and tilts his head before entering his own home.
Looking at the bag in her hand, it seems she bought something. Did she come to offer comfort?
Yoon A-young has never visited this house before. The original owner moved here upon joining the clan and fled to a dungeon only a few days later, so A-young, whose relationship with him had soured, never had a reason to come.
Bubble, bubble—
Hearing the sundubu-jjigae boiling, I hide the gun under the pillow again and walk toward the front door. It’s a good thing I hadn’t put the marinated bulgogi in the pan yet; I would have burned it.
Creeeak—
"... ..."
When I open the door, Yoon A-young looks up at me with wide, startled eyes.
Frozen stiff, she hunches her shoulders and looks like a fragile girl, hardly fitting the image of a "special-grade prospect."
"H-How...?"
"I’d notice if you were loitering in front of the door like that. Come in."
I leave the door open and walk back inside.
Yoon A-young edges in hesitantly, her eyes scanning my home with a nervous gaze. It’s a small studio apartment with not much to see, but she examines every detail.
"Don't just stand there, have a seat. Have you eaten?"
"Huh? No, not yet... That's why I bought this cake..."
Yoon A-young hides her face behind the bag, holding it with both hands as if embarrassed.
"That’s perfect. Let's eat and have it for dessert."
"O-Okay..."
Since the body's owner was a man with zero domestic skills, Yoon A-young watches me cook with a dazed expression before sitting at the table. I check the rice cooker to see when the rice will be done and pour a drink into a glass for her.
"What are you looking at?"
"You knew how to cook?"
"I've lived alone for a while now. It tastes pretty good, too. Do you like your bulgogi with a lot of sauce? Or cooked down until it's dry?"
"Um... dry?"
I give a small smirk and turn back to the kitchen.
As I place the marinated meat into the heated pan, the sizzling sound fills the room. Yoon A-young, who had been staring blankly at my back, rests her hands on her knees and looks around the apartment again.
"Were you expecting someone today?"
"Hmm? No. Why?"
"The place is so clean."
"I might not look it, but I keep things tidy."
Did I show a lifestyle too different from the original owner?
Yoon A-young’s eyes drift toward the folded laundry. Having never lost the habits from my military days, the pile of clothes is folded with such sharp precision they could be mistaken for rectangular boxes.
I guess that is a bit much, isn't it? Folding things that perfectly is a little weird.
"You're living well. I'm glad."
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"You're living alone too. Are you eating well?"
When I turn back to ask, Yoon A-young’s eyes dart around frantically. Clearly flustered, she stammers out a response.
"I-I'm doing great? I'm totally good at cleaning, and I cook every day. I, uh, I even made steak yesterday."
She's probably just lounging around at home.
She looks so cute trying desperately to defend herself that I feel like teasing her.
"Wow—you make such fancy things."
"Of course. I'm a woman who's good at housework, too."
"That's impressive. What cut did you use? Last time I grilled some without removing the tendons, and it was incredibly tough."
"Huh? Uh... the... pork belly?"
"Oh... that... must have been delicious..."
... ...
"... ... I'm sorry. Actually, I can't do any of it."
I only asked to tease her a bit, but I never expected "pork belly" to come out of her mouth. Seeing my expression, Yoon A-young realized her mistake, hung her head, and apologized.
An awkward silence follows.
I toss the pan to flip the bulgogi and look back.
"Everyone has things they're good at and areas they're interested in. You have the talent of a hero, A-young."
"You fight better than me, though."
Thinking my comfort is a mockery, Yoon A-young pouts. I watch her fidgeting fingers for a moment before turning back to the pan. From behind me, she asks cautiously.
"Is what happened at the clan... is it true?"
"What do you think?"
"I believe in you, of course, O-Oppa... I mean, I believe in you."
Yoon A-young accidentally used the old honorific and hurriedly corrected herself in embarrassment. I look back to see her face bright red, her gaze lowered.
Perhaps due to the influence of the original owner's memories, whenever I look at her, I feel a sense of warmth rather than lust. Yoon A-young was the one person who truly supported the original owner.
Her bright golden eyes, which had changed upon becoming an Awakened, tremble with anxiety, and she tenses up, unsure of what I might say.
"It's been a while since I heard 'Oppa.'"
"... ... It just slipped out..."
Yoon A-young says in a tiny voice.
"Really? It made me feel good. Keep calling me Oppa, A-young."
"We'll see how you behave."
She turns her head away, her voice sounding a bit huffy. Her blushing profile and the slight trembling of her body are so cute I almost want to hug her. I transfer the perfectly cooked bulgogi to a plate as I answer her.
"I never embezzled anything. I'll be back soon, so just focus on raising your rank."
"I'm doing well. I'm still far from O... from you, but I reached D-8 the day before yesterday."
She already raised it again? It hasn't been that long since she cleared D-7.
As I move the food to the table, Yoon A-young approaches the rice cooker to help, scooping the rice into bowls.
"Aren't you moving up too fast?"
"Everyone says that, but I'm being careful in my own way."
Preparing the meal side-by-side like a newlywed couple, Yoon A-young steals a glance at me.
"Thank you. For telling me what I needed to do in the dungeon. Thanks to that, I was able to move up this quickly."
"That's good."
"You remember the promise, right? Once I reach C-rank, I'm the number one member of your party."
Did I make a promise like that? I think the original owner promised to go to dungeons with her, but I don't recall a specific promise like that. It seems Yoon A-young views reaching C-rank as the condition for the promise.
But even if you reach C-rank, my stats will still be D-rank.
Well, a supporter's role isn't entirely dependent on stats anyway, so I'll manage somehow.
Once the table is set and we sit down, Yoon A-young’s eyes sparkle at the sight of the sundubu-jjigae and bulgogi. Heroes possess incredible power, but they have poor fuel efficiency and need to eat a lot. Since becoming an Awakened, her appetite has likely increased, so it’s natural for her to look at delicious food that way.
Seemingly happy to be sitting and eating together like this, Yoon A-young gives a shy smile and looks at me.
"Let's ea—"
Bang! Bang!
"Master! You're home, right? I'm here! Open up!"
That booming voice and the title "Master." It could only be Kwon Ye-jin.
Interrupted, Yoon A-young hears Kwon Ye-jin’s voice and her gaze turns sharp as she glares at me.
"I thought you said no one was coming."
"I didn't think she was coming."
Under the weight of her glare, I stand up and open the front door, which is rattling as if it might break.
"Master! Did you miss me?! What are you doing cooped up in your house like a loser?! You haven't eaten yet, right? Let's go out, my trea—Senior Yoon A-young...?"
Kwon Ye-jin, who had been chatting brightly, finally notices Yoon A-young and stares blankly.
"Uh... Master... are you dating Senior Yoon A-young?"
"No, we are not dating. Hero Kwon Ye-jin, what brings you here?"
Yoon A-young asks in a cold voice. Kwon Ye-jin looks back and forth between us and scratches her head.
"I came to have a meal with my Master."
In the end, Kwon Ye-jin joined the table as well.
Wow—this is awkward.
Kwon Ye-jin tried to sit next to me, but after receiving a look from Yoon A-young, she sat next to her instead. The table, which had been filled with a happy atmosphere just moments ago, was now shrouded in silence.
"This is Hero Kwon Ye-jin, whom I am currently teaching."
"I know who she is. I didn't know you were teaching her, though. And why are you only training her?"
Someone, please save me.
Yoon A-young was glaring with eyes full of dissatisfaction, and Kwon Ye-jin, who usually acted so aggressive toward other heroes, had become as quiet as a gentle puppy next to her.
Her eyes were sparkling... Hey, are you seriously looking at the food in this situation?
I wondered why she was so quiet, but it turned out Kwon Ye-jin was just staring at the food on the table and swallowing hard.
"Should we eat before it gets cold? It won't taste as good if it's cold."
Ding-dong—
I did wish for someone to save me, but I didn't expect someone else to actually show up.
"Ah... Mr. Yeon-woo. I'm sorry for dropping by so suddenly."
Sung Hee-na greeted me politely, her elegant black bob swaying. As she looked up, her eyes landed on the two people sitting at the table, and even without looking back, I could feel the ominous energy radiating from the dining area.
Yeah, I give up. I don't even know anymore.