Echoes of the Past
The old man stepped out of the restaurant and turned once more to look at the sign hanging above the entrance.
Seona's Restaurant.
What could the name mean?
From the conversation he'd overheard, the little owner's name was Seia. It was a rather feminine name for the owner of the place.
"How was it?"
The old man's question brought a faint softening to the secretary's guarded expression. Like the old man himself, the secretary's gaze toward the restaurant held a trace of affection—subtle, but present.
"It was good."
Not "delicious," but "good." That single word was enough to make the old man feel his visit had been worthwhile.
"More importantly, what does the owner do?"
"I'll look into it."
Under normal circumstances, the old man would have refused such an offer, but this time felt different. After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head.
"No need. Sometimes it's more enjoyable to find things out for yourself. Let's head back. We've stayed longer than I expected."
Dwelling on memories always came with this problem—losing track of time.
The old man and his secretary walked away together. Their destination wasn't far from the restaurant. The area was filled with tall buildings, and the one they approached was among the tallest. The moment they stepped inside, the burly men standing guard bowed deeply.
"Good afternoon, Guild Leader!"
Everyone addressed the old man as Guild Leader. In this era, only one kind of person could be called by that title—those who had founded and now ran a guild.
Establishing a guild was no simple feat, and even after founding one, success was never guaranteed. A guild leader needed both the strength and the wealth to manage hunters, as well as the responsibility to handle every problem that arose from them. By those standards, the old man's guild was one of the largest in the country.
"That's enough. Carry on with your work."
The old man waved off their greetings, his expression markedly different from before. The look of quiet happiness he'd worn while reminiscing about a time he could never return to had vanished. It wasn't a bad change—just a return from a dreamlike place to reality. And no one understood that better than he did.
"This place might come to mean more to me than I thought."
He had only been drawn in by the comforting aroma that stirred old memories. He had only eaten food prepared by a stranger in a completely different place. Yet somehow, it had felt as though he'd gone back in time.
The young owner lacked the restless energy typical of people his age—the hunger, the ambition, the drive to push forward and challenge everything. Instead, he seemed at ease, capable of finding joy in small things, someone who chose peace and stability over greed and ambition.
"...How strange."
Wasn't that the attitude he himself should have? He had already lived most of his life, yet he still clung to ambition and desire, while the young owner—who had far more years ahead of him—carried such quiet composure. And the young man had far less than the old man did.
"...No."
That wasn't quite right either.
The young owner possessed something far more precious than anything the old man had. Those bright, sparkling eyes. The way the little girl had listened so intently to her father's stories about something as simple as bibimbap, as if nothing else in the world existed. No one could miss how completely they were each other's everything.
What a beautiful bond.
"Secretary Kim."
"Yes, Guild Leader."
"Any trouble nearby?"
"Nothing around the guild building. In the surrounding area—"
"Not us. We wouldn't have problems, would we?"
"Ah, you mean the restaurant...?"
The old man nodded, and the secretary pulled out his phone to check the area again. This phone was special—issued only to the heads of major guilds and their personal secretaries by the Hunter Association. It displayed upcoming gate appearances, their exact times, and danger ratings at a glance.
"There's a gate scheduled to appear."
"A scheduled gate. Have it cleared the moment it forms."
"Understood."
Gates themselves weren't dangerous until they overflowed. If that happened, the damage to the surrounding area could be catastrophic. The restaurant must have been cheap because gates appeared frequently in the neighborhood. Thanks to that, he'd been able to taste the owner's cooking.
"Just look into the owner himself."
"Didn't you say it was more fun to find out on your own?"
"That was about the man himself. I simply don't want any preconceptions. But if there's trouble around him, that's another matter."
The "trouble" the old man had mentioned earlier included exactly this kind of concern.
"Understood, Guild Leader."
"It's only been a short while since I finished eating, yet I'm already feeling hungry again."
The old man chuckled softly as he entered his office. The secretary stood silently, watching him go.
Today, the Guild Leader had smiled more times than the secretary had ever seen before.
"Well... it wasn't bad."
The secretary didn't realize he was wearing a similar smile himself.
─┼
Seona's Restaurant, now empty of customers.
Though it should have been quiet for a while, the restaurant remained lively.
"Heehee!"
Seia's laughter never stopped. She stood in front of the refrigerator, staring at the meat aging inside, already drooling.
"Seia, you just ate. You're not hungry again already, are you?"
"Uuu..."
Seia couldn't say yes or no. Even she thought it was strange. She'd eaten not long ago, yet her stomach felt empty again.
"Hmm... Should I make Seia a snack?"
"Snack! Cookies!"
At the word "cookies," Jungwoo firmly shook his head.
"No more cookies. They're not good for you."
Jungwoo had studied nutrition for Seia's sake. From a nutritional standpoint, things like cookies offered no benefit to her body. His top priority was making delicious food in a healthy way, while Seia's was simply to eat delicious things until she was full. Their goals were similar yet different. Jungwoo felt a duty to satisfy Seia's desires while still preparing healthy meals. That sense of responsibility extended naturally to the restaurant as well.
Any leftover food or side dishes would eventually be eaten by Seia. And situations like the one earlier were bound to happen again. Seia had eagerly accepted the kimchi pancake from a customer. With her friendly and outgoing nature, Jungwoo instinctively knew it would happen again. When a customer wanted to give her something and Seia looked up at him with that slightly guilty expression, how could he refuse?
"Today's snack for Seia is..."
"Seia's snack is...?!"
"Yogurt!"
"Yo... yogurt...?"
The eager sparkle in Seia's eyes shifted to curiosity. There was no better snack than yogurt. Mixed with blueberries and nuts, it became sweet, nutty, and healthy all at once. The preparation was simple—just sprinkle the toppings on top.
As Jungwoo began preparing the snack, the restaurant door chimed open.
"Welcome—"
"Are you Lee Jungwoo?"
"Yes, that's me."
The man in black clothes stared at Jungwoo with a stiff expression. Jungwoo tensed slightly, wondering what was going on, until the man pulled a small wallet-like object from his pocket.
"I've got your TV delivery. Where would you like it installed?"
"Ah, over here."
Jungwoo let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long time since he'd ordered the TV, and this was the first time the delivery person had arrived while he was present.
"I guess this is how deliveries work these days?"
"Ah, yes. If you choose a job that suits your abilities, the pay is decent."
"Hello!"
Once Jungwoo's slight wariness faded, Seia relaxed as well and greeted the man.
"Haha. Hello."
The previously expressionless delivery man smiled warmly at Seia's greeting.
"Can it be installed up there?"
"So the customers can see it, I take it."
"Yes, that's right."
"Understood. I'll install it right away."
The installation didn't take long. The man simply held a magic stone in one hand and waved it through the air a few times, and the TV was mounted in place. While he worked, Jungwoo poured a cold cola and offered it to him.
"Have a drink, at least."
"Ah, thank you. I'll enjoy it."
Did hunters even get thirsty? The delivery man downed the entire glass in one go, thanked Jungwoo, and left the restaurant.
Jungwoo had ordered the TV partly for the customers, but mostly for Seia. Preparing ingredients took a lot of time, and he didn't want her getting bored. He also wanted to know what was happening in the outside world these days.
After quickly finishing Seia's snack, Jungwoo sat with her at a table, looking out the window. Autumn had arrived after the sweltering summer. With the cool weather and the last traces of heat chased away by the yogurt, a sense of happiness came naturally.
"How is it? Tasty?"
"Yogurt's the best!"
Yogurt or "ogurt"—it didn't matter. As long as Seia enjoyed it, that was enough.
Jungwoo gently stroked Seia's hair, and the two of them savored the rare quiet, peaceful moment together.
Just as the cup of yogurt was nearly empty, customers began to arrive at the once-quiet restaurant. Lunchtime had come.
Ding.
The cheerful bell rang through the restaurant, and as always, Seia's greeting came first.
"Welcome to Seona's Restaurant!"
The customers who had entered with blank faces broke into unguarded smiles at her cheerful welcome.