The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 34

“By the way, didn’t you say you were going to show me a new item today?”

 

“Right. Just a moment.”

 

Only then did Hana rummage through her pocket and take out the rice seeds she had forgotten about.

 

“Is this it?”

 

After examining the rice seeds for a moment, Kanghyun handed them back to Hana.

 

“So you’re saying you need my skill to grow this?”

 

“Yes. You just need to share some fire energy about once a week.”

 

“Once a week, huh.” 

 

Seo Kanghyun habitually fiddled with his lower lip with his fingertips. It was his habit when he was deep in thought.

 

Watching Kanghyun’s reaction, Hana discovered a scratch on Seo Kanghyun’s cheek.

 

“Huh? You have a scratch!”

 

As Hana grabbed Kanghyun’s cheek, his entire sturdy body flinched.

 

“Seems I got scratched in the gate.”

 

“Shouldn’t you treat this? Don’t you have a healing potion?”

 

“…It’s fine to just leave this much alone.”

 

“If it’s bothersome, I’ll bring it. Just tell me where the potion is.”

 

Kanghyun rolled his eyes for a moment, then pointed towards the drawer with a gesture of his head.

 

“Over there.”

 

Hana immediately opened the drawer and began rummaging here and there.

 

Watching that sight, Kanghyun leaned his body against the back of the sofa.

 

The small, busy footsteps, the sound of opening and closing drawers, and the muttering talking to herself floated around him like pleasant noise.

 

“It’s not here?”

 

“Then maybe I put it next to it.”

 

Kanghyun answered slowly.

 

“Try looking carefully.”

 

The blinking of Kanghyun’s eyelids as he answered became sluggish.

 

Was it because the afternoon sunlight coming into the Guild Master’s office was excessively warm.

 

Or was it because the person named Yoon Hana standing across from him strangely touched a sensation he had forgotten for a long time.

 

His body relaxed. Far from looking dangerous, Yoon Hana was so utterly trivial that maybe his tension had unspooled for the first time in a long while.

 

With the fatigue that had steadily accumulated over the past few days, Kanghyun’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

 

He couldn’t remember sleeping properly recently.

 

“No matter if you’re an SS-rank, you shouldn’t neglect your body like that.”

 

Hana’s quiet nagging reached his ears.

 

“You’ll get sick to the bone when you get older later.”

 

Listening to that sound, Kanghyun closed his eyes without realizing it.

 

How much time had passed like that? 

 

“Found it.”

 

Hana, having discovered the potion, turned around speaking as if pleased.

 

Holding a potion bottle in each hand, her steps heading towards the sofa stopped mid-way.

 

“…Huh?”

 

Kanghyun was resting his elbow diagonally on the sofa armrest, leaning his chin in his hand, with his eyes closed.

 

The brow that was always tense was also relaxed.

 

“Did he fall asleep?” 

 

Tiptoeing closer, Hana carefully waved her hand in front of Kanghyun’s face.

 

Once she confirmed that Seo Kanghyun wasn’t moving, Hana carefully popped open the cap of the potion bottle, whereupon Kanghyun furrowed his brow and opened his eyes. 

 

“Did you wake up? You can keep sleeping.” 

 

“I fell asleep, you say?” 

 

Kanghyun blinked with a face that didn’t immediately grasp the situation, then soon rubbed his forehead.

 

“Yes. Weren’t you dozing?” 

 

“That’s impossible.”

 

Kanghyun let out a hollow chuckle as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

Taking advantage of Kanghyun waking up, Hana brought up the conversation she had left off earlier.

 

“About those rice seeds, if it’s bothersome, I can come to you.”

 

Hmm.

 

Instead of replying, Kanghyun buried his back deeply into the chair.

 

Even in the midst of that, Hana was chattering enthusiastically in front of Kanghyun.

 

“I think I can plant it in a flowerpot and bring it, how about that?”

 

“…”

 

“Excuse me, Seo Kanghyun-ssi? Are you listening to me?”

 

Even while listening to Hana’s words, Kanghyun’s mind was somewhere entirely different.

 

That he had dozed off. 

 

And in front of someone else without a shred of vigilance?

 

Normally, he had to use a sound-blocking item just to barely catch a wink of sleep for a moment.

 

He couldn’t believe he had fallen asleep while listening to the clattering sounds of someone rummaging around looking for a potion.

 

Why was that?

 

Was it because the person moving around in his space was Yoon Hana? 

 

Because she doesn’t look to have a single dangerous edge to her at a glance?

 

Or if not that, because of that face that weirdly resembles Sunbae?

 

Whatever it was, there was definitely something about Yoon Hana.

 

The fact that his insomnia symptoms were alleviated after eating her crops was one thing too.

 

Kanghyun slowly swept his lips with his fingertips.

 

What exactly that was wasn’t important.

 

To Kanghyun, only one thing was important.

 

The fact that he could sleep.

 

He came to a conclusion.

 

“There’s no need for that. I will go. Twice a week. Instead, I’d like to add an additional clause to the contract.” 

 

“An additional clause?”

 

Hana, who had given up on making Kanghyun talk since he had no reaction and was popping the potion cap, pulled her head back and narrowed her eyes.

 

At that reaction, Kanghyun’s eyebrows pushed up crookedly.

 

“What is that look in your eyes?”

 

“No, I was just wondering if you were going to demand something weird. Like lowering the transaction unit price, for example?”

 

“…What exactly do you take me for? It’s nothing like that, so don’t worry about useless things.”

 

“Then what is it?”

 

With a dumbfounded expression, Kanghyun took the potion bottle from Hana.

 

In that process, the fingertips of the two lightly bumped.

 

“I’d like you to help me fall asleep from now on. How about it?”

 

“Fall asleep?”

 

Hana’s round eyes narrowed.

 

It was a look that said she had heard something completely absurd.

 

Thinking his words might have sounded disrespectful, Kanghyun sighed and tried to add.

 

“Ah. Don’t misunderstand by any chance. Literally-.”

 

“Do you have trouble sleeping? Since when?”

 

But Hana’s clear voice asking innocently cut Kanghyun’s words right off.

 

Hana’s head tilted to the side.

 

The light brown hair swaying below her ear drew his gaze exceptionally.

 

Was it because of the soft colors, like her hair and eyes being completely plastered in brown, or her small frame. Or perhaps because of that expression that seemed devoid of any worries.

 

When he was with Yoon Hana, his vigilance grew exceptionally dull and he felt comfortable.

 

Following Hana, Kanghyun turned his head to the side and rested his chin diagonally.

 

‘…She looks like one the more I see her. A squirrel.’

 

Kanghyun’s long fingers twitched.

 

Because the impulse to touch that hair that looked fluffy like a squirrel’s tail arose.

 

Fortunately, he didn’t put it into action, though.

 

Kanghyun slowly closed and opened his fatigue-soaked eyes.

 

“Since when was it? I think it’s been a few years.”

 

“Oh my goodness. For a few years? Then I’ll help you.”

 

Hana nodded with a face that didn’t doubt the request of a person she hadn’t seen more than a few times at all.

 

That reaction actually made Kanghyun frown.

 

Forgetting that he was the one who asked, Kanghyun straightened his head.

 

“Are you originally this lacking in vigilance? Even so, isn’t it too easy to say you’ll do it.”

 

“Huh? It’s not easy, though?” 

 

But the unnecessary worry was brief.

 

Before he knew it, Hana was rummaging and taking out the contract she had packed away earlier again.

 

Not only that.

 

She took out the ballpoint pen she used to sign earlier again, and nonchalantly added something below the clauses.

 

Scribble, scribble.

 

Her small hands moved diligently.

 

While he was watching that incomprehensible behavior, Hana closed the pen cap with a click and held out the contract.

 

“I’m definitely going to receive additional compensation.”

 

Kanghyun was momentarily at a loss for words.

 

On the contract Hana held out, additional clauses were written very clearly.

 

In exchange for helping Kanghyun sleep, he would share fire energy with the rice seeds twice a week, and in addition to that, pay an hourly rate.

 

For a moment, Kanghyun realized just how absurd his thought was to consider Hana innocent and naive.

 

“Hah.”

 

A dry laugh flowed from between Kanghyun’s lips.

 

Kanghyun didn’t realize that the corners of his mouth, which had never gone up since ‘1’ disappeared, easily crumbled in front of Hana.

 

“You’re right. You didn’t agree easily.”

 

Kanghyun readily accepted Hana’s new clauses.

 

Right then, Hana snapped her fingers.

 

“Right! The ‘KingKongIfTheKingFalls’ I mentioned before! What happened with that by any chance?”

 

“Ah, I almost forgot. When I tracked the ID you told me, a very familiar phone number came up.”

 

“Who is it? Is it someone I know too?”

 

“You could say you somewhat know him.”

 

With those words, Kanghyun recalled his phone that had been split completely in two.

 

How dumbfounded he was when he found out that the crappy ID ‘KingKongIfTheKingFalls’ was linked to his phone.

 

There was exactly one human who would take his phone and do such a thing.

 

Along with an ambiguous answer, Kanghyun immediately called someone.

 

Then, not even a few minutes passed before the Guild Master’s office door burst open along with a very familiar sound of a fuss.