The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

To think I was this close to such an incredible person.

 

Recalling that fact, Hana realized all over again what kind of situation she had just faced.

 

“I thought something was a bit strange. To think it wasn’t a fake, but a real monster.”

 

And a B-rank at that!

 

Hana glared sideways at the system window without others noticing.

 

‘Hey! If that was real, you should have told me beforehand! Before giving me something like a toy gun! I’m only going to give you 5 cherry tomatoes!’

 

【SYSTEM】 

<How could you do that! Breaking promises is bad! You scammer!>

 

Who’s calling who a scammer?

 

As Hana was having a staring contest with the system, Yoon Taegyeom’s face suddenly appeared in front of her.

 

He wore an expression of disbelief.

 

“Yoon Hana-ssi?”

 

“Oh, yes. Yes?”

 

“So, you shot a toy gun… and took down a B-rank monster?”

 

“No. I didn’t take it down. I just, landed exactly one shot. That’s all…”

 

Hana’s voice grew smaller towards the end.

 

How could she possibly defeat a B-rank monster?

 

Naturally, Seo Kanghyun, who had appeared behind her, must have handled it.

 

Yoon Taegyeom seemed to share the same thought, as his expression quickly cleared up.

 

“Ah, right? I was wondering! Still, that’s impressive! To encounter a B-rank monster and come out perfectly fine like this!”

 

“Ahaha, as you heard, I’m a bit sturdy.”

 

Hana’s gaze glanced back toward Seo Kanghyun.

 

‘Is he hurt, perhaps?’

 

Seo Kanghyun’s complexion was not good.

 

His skin was pale, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. 

 

Fortunately, he didn’t seem hurt anywhere, but he looked very tired. He also looked somewhat precarious.

 

“Hey, Kanghyun-ah.”

 

Yoon Taegyeom tactfully patted Seo Kanghyun’s shoulder.

 

“This won’t do. I’ll handle the wrap-up here, so you go and get some rest.”

 

“Forget it.”

 

“What do you mean, forget it. You look like a walking corpse right now, you know? Go sleep right now! Listen to your hyung, okay?”

 

Taegyeom tried to push Seo Kanghyun’s back, but the SS-rank Hunter’s sturdy body just stood firm like a totem pole.

 

As Hana watched Taegyeom struggling, an Association employee approached her.

 

“F-rank Hunter Yoon Hana-nim, your registration card has been issued. The investigation is also complete, so you may head back now.”

 

Yoon Hana was classified as an ordinary civilian hunter with nothing particularly suspicious about her, and a production class at that.

 

No one even imagined that she would have fought the boss monster.

 

Because of that, there was no one paying attention to her anymore.

 

With no reason left to stay, Hana headed out to the lobby.

 

Beside her was Seo Kanghyun as well.

 

Eventually pushed out by Yoon Taegyeom, he took the first steps.

 

Hana followed a little behind him before stopping awkwardly.

 

“…Goodbye.” 

 

As she spoke sheepishly out of awkwardness, Kanghyun gave a single curt nod of his head and walked away without any reply.

 

His retreating figure was slow and looked strangely precarious.

 

Hana stood there for a long while, looking at his back.

 

She could have just turned around. They had no reason to see each other again anyway.

 

“Ah, why am I worrying? It has nothing to do with me.” 

 

Even as she said that with her mouth, Kanghyun’s exhausted face kept weighing on Hana’s mind.

 

“Ah, this is really being nosy.”

 

In the end, Hana started running.

 

Seo Kanghyun was already quite far away.

 

Panting as she caught up to him, Hana rummaged through her bag.

 

She pulled out a small bottle and gripped it in her palm. 

 

The contents were hidden behind a light-green label. 

 

“Excuse me!”

 

At the sound calling him, Seo Kanghyun turned around.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Please eat this. It’s the best for when you’re tired!”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“It’s nothing weird! I wanted to thank you for saving me earlier, and for telling them that I didn’t break the monitor. Please, take it.” 

 

Hana awkwardly scratched her cheek and grinned.

 

The way her fair cheeks puffed up softly was a smile that made anyone watching feel good.

 

Perhaps that was why. Kanghyun found himself taking the bottle before he realized it. 

 

His cold fingertips wrapped around the glass bottle, which still held the warmth of her body. 

 

Right then.

 

Beep-bee-beep. 

 

The phone in Hana’s pocket rang.

 

As she answered the call, the hospital director’s agitated voice flowed out.

 

—Hana-ssi! I’m in front of the Association right now, and things are a mess with a Gate explosion and lockdowns. You’re safe, right?

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Director!”

 

—Phew, thank goodness. When can you come out? We should leave before traffic gets bad.

 

At those words, Hana glanced up at the clock hanging on the hallway wall.

 

Rush hour was imminent.

 

In an instant, a scene was painted in her mind.

 

Cars with their engines off, honking horns, completely blocked roads.

 

“Gasp, I’m in trouble!”

 

Feeling the pressure of a massive traffic jam, Hana hurriedly started running.

 

“Make sure you try it, definitely!”

 

Even in the midst of that, she didn’t forget to pass on her request.

 

Waving her hand broadly as she backed away, Hana almost tripped, then turned to face forward and bolted.

 

Seo Kanghyun stared blankly at such Hana.

 

“There’s someone else just as chaotic as Yoon Taegyeom.”

 

Kanghyun shook the glass jar he was left holding.

 

Upon opening the lid, a tangy yet sweet tomato scent drifted up.

 

He wondered what it was, only to find the bottle contained tomato jam. 

 

As expected, Yoon Hana was not Sunbae.

 

Because Hunter ‘1’ would have absolutely loathed it, calling it annoying; she definitely didn’t have the personality to make something so cute and meticulous.

 

“Hah.”

 

Letting out a hollow chuckle, Kanghyun raised his head again.

 

Then, he saw Yoon Hana’s figure running away brightly.

 

Frizzy bobbed hair swaying below her ears.

 

Round shoulders with a straw hat slung over them.

 

Flapping overalls.

 

Potato vines sticking out of her bag.

 

And that sight of her running as if bounding, diligently moving her short legs, was just like…

 

“A squirrel?”

 

Right, she looked like a fearless, scampering squirrel.

 

* * * 

 

Fortunately, having avoided being stranded on the road, Hana returned to the cabin behind the hospital before dinner. 

 

This cabin had been built along with the vegetable garden during the time when the hospital director was heavily interested in farming.

 

However, having quickly lost interest in the garden, the director had been using this place merely as a storage shed for unused farming tools.

 

Thanks to that, Hana had just received permission to temporarily stay here for the time being.

 

It was a cramped and old space, but Hana absolutely loved it.

 

“Ugh, I feel so sticky.”

 

Hana put the overalls she took off her shoulders into the washing machine.

 

Because it was covered in mud and spores from the chaos earlier.

 

Water filled the old top-loading washing machine, and soon it began to spin.

 

Then, something began to blossom softly in the water.

 

At first glance, it looked like a ball of cotton, and looking at it another way, it looked like a soap bubble.

 

Because she hadn’t closed the lid yet, this rapidly expanding, unidentified object popped out of the washing machine.

 

Gasp!

 

Hana, who had unconsciously taken a deep breath through her mouth and swallowed one of them, looked ready to cry.

 

“Pah! Blegh! What is all this?” 

 

Hana spat out what had entered her mouth.

 

Looking closely, it was neither a cotton ball nor a water droplet, but a spore.

 

Swelling up into droplets, the spores soaked in water were bizarrely growing like little sprouts.

 

Just as a freaked-out Hana was about to drain the water from the washing machine, Ding—! With a familiar notification sound, the system window popped up.

 

【SYSTEM】

<Mission Complete! Reward Distributed> 

<Gathered Special Species Seed & Achieved Growth Conditions> 

 

<※ This plant is an unidentified species that does not exist in Earth’s ecosystem.> 

<Skill Acquired: ‘Wild Plant Identification Lv.1 (F+-rank)’> 

<Item Acquired: Unknown Seed (1)> 

<Reward: 500pt EXP Distributed> 

<Current EXP: 520/2,500pt>

 

“…! Did I just clear the mission?”

 

Hana’s eyes went wide as she peered into the washing machine. 

 

Somehow, the visual was slightly gross… but she still felt proud.

 

Plus, to give her 500pt of EXP!

 

She had only ever gone up by 1 or 2pt no matter how many trivial missions she did until now, so she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.

 

However, the system didn’t give her time to fully rejoice.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<A new mission has been assigned!> 

<Let’s find a proper environment where the newly acquired seed can grow stably!> 

<Condition: Provide a ‘Home’ equipped with sunlight, soil, and humidity conditions.>

 

“…Huh?”

 

Hana stopped her clapping motion.

 

“Wait, again?”

 

I just succeeded in a mission, though?

 

Annoyance began to creep up.

 

But watching the translucent spore stems fluttering up from the washing machine, she felt herself going soft for no reason.

 

Hana stretched up her body that was about to slack off.

 

“Alright. These guys need a home too.”

 

Quickly recovering her energy, Hana grabbed a flowerpot and headed straight for the window.

 

However, she soon changed her mind.

 

“Hmm, since I’m at it, a spacious home would be better, right?”

 

Hana hummed as she placed her straw hat on her head. 

 

After making sure to grab a trowel as well, Hana arrived at the vegetable garden and started digging a suitable spot.

 

True to its appearance as an undeniable monster-type plant, the seed was bizarrely moist and whitish.

 

It was to the point where slippery mucus oozed between her fingers when she grabbed it.

 

“But is this… really a seed?”