<Episode 22>
“Hunter Haneul! It’s been a while.”
A familiar face had returned. It was Hunter Ria, back from her vacation in Australia.
Having returned with a face much brighter than before, she seemed to have come straight to the shop as soon as she arrived in Korea, still dragging along a large suitcase.
“Hellooo….”
“Oh my, Hunter. What happened to your face? You’ve become half your size already.”
Concern filled her large eyes as she examined my complexion.
A few days ago, despite my desperate pleading, Hunter Lee Hyunwoo had coldly brushed me off, saying he would report things to the Management Bureau.
After returning home completely deflated, I searched up the punishment severity for illegal gate entry and spent the entire night trembling in fear.
‘At minimum a fine, and at worst imprisonment….’
Trying to complete a mission had apparently landed me on the fast track to prison.
Thankfully, no one had come to arrest me(?) yet, but constantly being on edge had quickly piled up my fatigue.
As a result, the version of myself I saw in the mirror looked exactly like someone whose life had completely fallen apart.
Bloodshot eyes, dark circles hanging all the way down to my chin, and dull, lifeless pupils.
“Hm, is someone bullying you? Should I take care of it for you?”
“Hunter Ria?”
As if telling me to just say the word, Hunter Ria pointed at the greatsword strapped to her back. If I really said someone was troubling me, she looked ready to march over and chop their head off immediately.
It was incredibly reassuring, but unfortunately, the person troubling me wasn’t someone Hunter Ria could deal with.
No… not just Hunter Ria. Probably nobody could easily deal with him.
After all, in terms of rank, he was the highest-ranked S-Class Hunter in the country.
I forced an awkward smile and shook my head.
“I just haven’t been sleeping well.”
“Mmm, then that’s not really something I can help with. Still, if you ever need help, let me know.”
Hunter Ria adjusted the greatsword on her back while flashing a somewhat chilling smile. I quickly changed the subject.
“Did you enjoy your vacation?”
“Of course. It was nice seeing my family again after so long.”
She handed me armfuls of souvenirs she’d bought in Australia.
“The mana stones are still sitting untouched in my inventory….”
When I muttered that, she said the mana stones had been repayment for helping her with her insomnia, while these were simply travel souvenirs, so they were different.
“Wow! Chocolate?”
When I opened the shopping bag, there was a box of luxurious chocolates decorated with ribbons and a cute squirrel plushie inside. Apparently, when she saw the squirrel plush among all the kangaroo dolls, she’d immediately thought of me.
“Thank you. It’s so cute.”
“It’s nothing. Compared to what I received, this is a small gift.”
She shrugged while looking around the shop.
“Come to think of it, you said you take reservations only now, right? Looks like I’ll need to hurry starting tomorrow too.”
“There’s a new menu item now too, so please try it!”
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
At that moment, a buzzing alarm rang from her wristwatch. After checking the contents, she shrugged.
“I should get going now. I came here before even reporting back from leave.”
Hunter Ria turned off the alarm with a light tap and picked up her large luggage.
“If it weren’t for the bungeoppang, I wouldn’t have returned. The Korean Hunter world should be thanking you, Hunter Haneul.”
“Hahaha….”
“I’ll see you next time.”
After making a rather terrifying joke, she waved goodbye to me. The anxious, impatient version of her from before was gone; now she looked undeniably full of life.
‘Unlocking the special effects really was the right decision.’
I waved back while watching her departing figure, when suddenly a large shadow fell over me.
Turning my head, I saw a man in a suit. He gave me a slight bow and spoke.
“You are Hunter Jung Haneul, correct? The Director would like to see you.”
I swallowed hard.
It seemed the time had finally come.
***
‘…Nothing bad better happen.’
If the Director herself had summoned me, then that basically meant this incident was truly serious.
Like a student being called into the principal’s office after causing trouble, I drooped miserably while following the man.
“Look at this, nya. There’s a strange plant growing here, nya.”
“Hanyang-ah, please stay still.”
Knowing absolutely nothing, Hanyang seemed completely fascinated by the highest floor of the Management Bureau she was visiting for the first time, and she busily looked around everywhere.
We were currently on the Bureau’s 132nd floor.
Apparently, this place required a special card for entry. Maybe because of that, there wasn’t a single person in the wide hallway.
“Please wait a moment.”
After the man said something to the woman seated at the desk, the tightly shut doors slid open silently.
Carefully following him inside, I found another spacious area filled with an open atmosphere.
“Director, Miss Jung Haneul has arrived.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
When I looked up, I saw a middle-aged woman seated on a sofa.
That face I’d seen in news broadcasts and articles.
With her neat short hair and beige two-piece suit, she looked stylish despite being in her mid-forties.
As if trying to ease my tension, she smiled gently.
“I’d been curious about Hunter Haneul anyway, so I’m glad we can finally meet. Please, have a seat.”
When I looked toward the sofa, Hunter Lee Hyunwoo was already sitting there.
Unlike me, who had agonized myself to death for several days, he looked completely relaxed. Crossing his long legs and calmly drinking tea, he lightly nodded in greeting.
“It’s been a while.”
But this was hardly a situation where I could calmly return greetings.
As I sat down and lifted the teacup to wet my throat, I froze upon seeing my trembling hand.
“Are you alright?”
“…Y-Yes, more or less.”
Hunter Lee Hyunwoo handed me a tissue after glancing at the spilled tea.
While my hands slowly wiped the table, my mind raced frantically.
‘They’re not actually going to throw me in prison, right? What happens to the bungeoppang shop if I go to jail? What about our Hanyang?’
Worst-case scenarios floated endlessly through my head.
While I sat there suffering alone in my thoughts, the Director, who had poured some water for Hanyang, approached me.
“Your cat is really adorable. Her name is Hanyang, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’m jealous. Being able to work together with such a cute cat.”
After making a light joke, she plopped down onto the sofa.
After taking a sip of warm tea, she finally spoke.
“I heard something interesting from Hunter Lee Hyunwoo. Apparently, an F-Class Hunter has been secretly entering gates.”
I wiped my sweaty palms against my pants.
My heart felt like it was going to burst from nervousness.
“That story was about you, Hunter Haneul?”
“…Yes. I’m sorry.”
I lowered my head deeply, bracing myself for the scolding to come.
But the voice that followed was astonishingly cheerful.
“You’re incredibly brave! I was amazed.”
“…Pardon?”
Was she mocking me?
I jerked my head up to examine her expression. But the emotion on her face was pure admiration.
Meaning she was genuinely astonished that an F-Class like me had entered a gate.
“Even if the system ordered me to, I don’t think I could’ve done it. Taking risks for the sake of items… that’s impressive!”
I blinked in confusion at this completely unexpected turn of events.
I’d prepared myself for criticism, but instead I was receiving praise?
“…Um, Director?”
“Yes, Hunter Haneul?”
“Didn’t you summon me because I illegally entered a gate and needed to be punished?”
Even without a mirror, I knew I must have looked incredibly stupid asking that question.
At my hesitant words, the Director leaned her head back and burst into laughter.
“Ahahaha! So that’s why your expression looked so awful! I was wondering why you were so stiff.”
She laughed merrily, saying she’d thought I was simply nervous about meeting her.
“Of course, it was wrong for an F-Class to enter a gate alone. There were even voices inside the Bureau saying disciplinary action should be taken.”
The word disciplinary action instantly made my body tense up again.
But then the Director waved her hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry. F-Class Hunters are indeed restricted from gate access, but with my permission, it’s possible.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“If it’s a special situation, temporary permits can be issued. It’s not something that happens often, so it’s understandable you didn’t know.”
She explained that she’d heard from Hunter Lee Hyunwoo why I had been entering gates, and that all my previous entries had already been processed as temporary authorized access under her approval, so I shouldn’t worry.
“So many Hunters have regained their vitality thanks to your bungeoppang shop. Punishment? We should be rewarding you instead.”
The eyes she looked at me with were incredibly warm.
“But.”
The Director looked directly at me and firmly raised one finger.
“Hunter, you absolutely cannot enter gates alone.”
“…Pardon?”
At that moment, the quietly seated Hunter Lee Hyunwoo lightly raised his hand.
“In that case, how about I ‘officially’ accompany Hunter Haneul from now on?”
An S-Class Hunter officially accompanying an F-Class just to collect ingredients in low-level gates?
At that utterly ridiculous, absurd nonsense, I clicked my tongue internally.
There was no way the Director would accept a proposal like th…
“Ah! Then I can feel at ease. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
Wait. What did you just say?
I shot up from my seat in shock.
Looking at the perfectly calm Hunter Lee Hyunwoo and the Director smiling serenely, realization suddenly struck me.
‘…Wait. Did these two plan this together?’
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