The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 40

* * *

 

And so.

 

On the first day Lee Haechan was supposed to come to the garden patch.

 

Kanghyun really did visit the garden patch along with Haechan.

 

Unlike the flustered Hana, Kanghyun’s face didn’t change color and he wore a brazen expression.

 

That much was fine.

 

However, there was one more uninvited guest. 

 

“Benefactor!”

 

Why on earth did Choi Kwon come again?

 

Hana squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like her ears were already getting noisy.

 

‘My peaceful daily life is shattered.’

 

At the garden scenery that instantly became boisterous, Hana made a tearful face.

 

“Even granting that Seo Kanghyun-ssi came because he had a promise, why on earth did you come?”

 

“What do you mean ‘you’. Call me by my name too, Benefactor.”

 

Choi Kwon, who was very naturally picking and eating cherry tomatoes from one side of the garden patch, grinned showing his canines.

 

It was quite detestable, but on the other hand, he was so brazen that it left her dumbfounded.

 

Beside him, Haechan kept stealing glances at Hana.

 

“Um… I’m sorry. Kwonie kept begging saying he was bored being alone…”

 

“That’s right, Haechan Hyung said I could come along. And it’s not even my first time here, don’t be so strict, Benefactor.”

 

Unbelievable.

 

It seems they decided to act like older and younger brothers in the meantime, as Choi Kwon stuck closely to Haechan.

 

“W-What should I help you with? I-I even came after studying hard!” 

 

Haechan hurriedly held out his phone.

 

The screen was packed with video watch history like ‘Beginner’s Guide to Gardening’, ‘Organic Farming Tips’, and ‘How to Improve Soil Aeration’.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Hana cleared her throat and recalled how Haechan had plowed the soil in the flowerpot with a silver line shaped like a rake last time.

 

Come to think of it, she had been planning to plow a new plot and plant additional potatoes today anyway; should she ask him to do that? 

 

“Then could you plow the soil once like last time?”

 

“O-Of course! I’ll do it right away!”

 

With a bright smile, Haechan used his skill to draw out a line with a swoosh.

 

Choi Kwon, who was watching that, stretched his index finger out and pointed to himself. 

 

“Benefactor, what about me? I wanna help too. I’m bored just standing still.”

 

“Ah, for you, just staying still is helping.”

 

“Hey! Why are you discriminating against people! I can do well too!” 

 

Pretending not to see Choi Kwon screaming, Hana slowly moved away.

 

“Still, is it okay to entrust the work to Lee Haechan-ssi?” 

 

After actually handing over the work, she became stealthily worried.

 

Given Haechan’s ability, he definitely seemed like he would be helpful.

 

But thinking about it now—.

 

‘What about EXP? Doesn’t it only go up if I tend the garden myself?’

 

This worry came to mind belatedly.

 

Even without that, the EXP she had been acquiring recently was practically a pittance.

 

‘I’ve only been able to gather measly points since then, so I still have a long way to go to get the next memory as a reward.’

 

Hana carefully opened her stat window.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Current EXP: 3,000/7,500pt>

 

She still had a long way to go to reach 7,500pt.

 

But if she even shared the work of tending the garden with someone else, wouldn’t the already lacking EXP accumulate even less?

 

Hana’s expression turned serious.

 

In that moment, as if having noticed Hana’s worry.

 

Ting—. 

 

The system window flashed before her eyes.

 

【SYSTEM】 

<Naturally, a farmer needs workers too! ⸜(◍’꒳’◍)⸝> 

<As the crops grow rapidly thanks to the worker, a portion of the EXP is also absorbed by the User!> 

<※ Absorption rate increases according to proficiency>

 

“…Huh?”

 

Hana’s eyes widened roundly.

 

Even if she didn’t do the work herself. A portion of the EXP comes in?

 

This…… wasn’t it a total hit? 

 

Even if it was a portion, where else would experience points coming in be. 

 

Hana became so happy she felt like flying at the unexpected harvest.

 

Of course, that didn’t mean she had the slightest intention of leaving the garden entirely to others.

 

Still, there were many days where her entire day disappeared just tending to the garden, so having even a small breathing hole was great.

 

Even in games, auto-hunting is incredibly sweet.

 

At the new ability that made her mouth water, Hana unconsciously wiped the corner of her mouth. 

 

And raised her head to look at Choi Kwon.

 

Perhaps her gaze sparkled too much, Choi Kwon flinched and shrank his shoulders.

 

“Wh-What is it. Why are you suddenly looking at me so passionately?”

 

“You said you wanted to help too, right?”

 

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s not ‘you’ but Choi Kwon!”

 

“Okay, Hunter Choi. Kwon.”

 

Hana smiled brightly as she slipped a cotton glove onto one of Choi Kwon’s hands, and shoved a hand hoe into his other hand. 

 

“Choi Kwon-ssi, please pull some weeds.”

 

“Huh? I’m really doing it?”

 

“It’s important for EXP—, no, for the crops’ health.”

 

Choi Kwon had a suspicious face, but eventually squatted down and began pulling weeds.

 

Hana watched his diligent hoeing with a pleased smile.

 

But that pleasure didn’t last long. Because there was still one person left to deal with.

 

Hana sneakily took a step away from Kanghyun standing next to her.

 

“Um… it’s been a while, hasn’t it, for us?”

 

“Didn’t we see each other before? At the guild.”

 

“Ah, did we? Ahaha.”

 

Did she get caught saying whatever out of awkwardness? Kanghyun chuckled and held out a plastic bag he was carrying.

 

“I’m sorry for suddenly kicking you out last time. Yoon Hana-ssi said the exact same words as someone I know, so I was flustered.”

 

“Someone Seo Kanghyun-ssi knows?”

 

Just as she wondered who that was.

 

An exclamation burst from Hana’s mouth as she took the bag.

 

“Wow!”

 

Inside the bag, various ice creams were packed full.

 

It was just when she was debating whether to slowly head to the convenience store since the one she ate last time was the last one anyway. She wondered how there could be such a coincidence.

 

“Thank you, how did you know I like ice cream too!”

 

Although it was a somewhat random visiting gift since the weather wasn’t even that hot yet.

 

Hana just simply brushed it off, thinking Seo Kanghyun must like ice cream too.

 

Hana took out the popsicle that was on top, tore open the wrapper at once, and put it in her mouth.

 

“Hah…”

 

While Hana was being happy at the sweetness spreading fully in her mouth, Kanghyun walked towards the cabin.

 

And leaned back into the wooden chair Hana had brought out in front of the cabin. It was a position where the garden patch could be seen at a glance.

 

“Huh? Don’t tell me you’re going to sleep there?”

 

“I am.”

 

“If you’re going to sleep, how about lying down? You’ll get a stiff neck doing that.”

 

“This is comfortable.”

 

With his arms crossed, Kanghyun closed his eyes, receiving the sunlight head-on.

 

At that carefree appearance, Hana didn’t bother trying to stop him further and dragged another chair over to sit next to him.

 

While enthusiastically inhaling her ice cream, Hana recalled the system window’s notification from earlier again.

 

That she could absorb a portion of the EXP if a worker grew the crops.

 

“Then if the number of workers increases, won’t the EXP gather faster too?”

 

If so, it means the more workers the better. Is there anyone else who would lend their precious labor?

 

Hana sneaked sidelong glances at Kanghyun.

 

An SS-rank Hunter as a worker candidate is a bit much, right?

 

No sooner had she thought that than Kanghyun reacted like a ghost.

 

“What is it.”

 

Kanghyun said with his eyes closed.

 

“Do you have something else to say?”

 

Feeling like her mind had been read, Hana flinched and raised her shoulders.

 

“…No. Just.”

 

The words ‘Would you like to try farming a bit?’ were eventually swallowed back down her throat.

 

Making an SS-rank Hunter do things like pulling weeds was, no matter how she thought about it, a little, no, very unreasonable.

 

Hana took another large bite of her ice cream for no reason.

 

“By the way, where is that person named Yoon Taegyeom?”

 

The space between Kanghyun’s eyebrows as he leaned back receiving the sunlight with closed eyes moved ever so finely. 

 

“Why are you curious about that?”

 

Hana spoke as if it were no big deal, taking another bite of the ice cream. 

 

“No, it’s just that he always seemed to be with you whenever I saw you. He also mentioned before that he really wanted to visit the garden patch. So I thought he would come with you today too.”

 

“Who knows. He hasn’t come out after locking himself in the training ground for days, so isn’t he probably there.” 

 

Simultaneously with the answer, Kanghyun’s closed eyelids slowly lifted.

 

Hana, who had been swinging her legs and focusing on her ice cream, discovered such Kanghyun belatedly.

 

“Why did you get up?”

 

Kanghyun turned his body diagonally and raised his upper body a bit.

 

“Do you have no questions for me, other than about Yoon Taegyeom?”

 

“I don’t?”

 

It was an answer that popped out without even time to think.

 

At that, for whatever reason, the corners of Kanghyun’s mouth curled up.

 

“Aha. You don’t? Nothing at all?”

 

He was smiling for some reason, but she felt a chilling sensation down her back, so Hana looked at a distant mountain.