Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 289

283. It is the pride of this country.

 

What do they mean by “getting your head smashed in”?

 

When I looked at Uncle Junsoo with a puzzled expression, he gave me a slight smile and said,

 

“You shouldn’t dare to doubt our Junghyo.”

 

“What…?”

 

“There is something like that.”

 

Uncle Junsoo was sipping his coffee with satisfaction when something suddenly seemed to occur to him.

 

“Oh, right. Dad is already grilling pork back in Pyeongchang-dong.”

 

Today was the day of the BJF(Baby Junghyo Fan) meeting, scheduled a bit earlier than the original notice.

 

And apparently, Dad went ahead early and is cooking jeon.

 

“I’ll go and help…”

 

“You’re probably helping more by staying out of the way.”

 

Uncle Junsoo said with a bright smile.

 

Han Woohyun, making jeon together with Dad, just the two of them?

 

Just imagining it felt strange.

 

These days, the BJF and Dad had become more lenient toward Han Woohyun, but that didn’t mean things had completely become easy or comfortable. 

 

‘If things go wrong, I’ll grab Han Woohyun and run.’

 

I made up my mind and went back to the car with Han Woohyun.

 

Han Woohyun opened the driver’s door as if it were only natural.

 

Han Woohyun drove from Yeongchun-myeon to here.

 

After finishing the morning shift at the hotel and wrapping up various tasks, there had been no other option at the time, but now all the work that needed to be handled by phone or email was already completed.

 

Click.

 

I took Han Woohyun’s hand as he opened the driver’s door.

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

I know it’s gotten a lot better.

 

If his trauma about cars had been that severe, he wouldn’t have been able to get in and out of the car like this. 

 

And I also think it’s a relief that he overcame his trauma.

 

But I just—

 

“No.”

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

I want to do it.

 

As I thought that, I stared intently at Han Woohyun. That stubborn guy would probably insist on his way again—

 

While I was bracing myself for a struggle, Han Woohyun quietly pulled his hand back.

 

Han Woohyun’s gaze was subtly directed just above my head.

 

“….?”

 

What is it?

 

Who is behind me?

 

The moment I instinctively glanced back, Han Woohyun stepped toward the passenger seat.

 

“Okay. You do it.”

 

Huh? That easy?

 

I was a bit taken aback by how the struggle ended so easily, but soon I shrugged my shoulders, intoxicated by a sense of victory.

 

‘I’ll drive.’

 

“Mhm.”

 

Seeing me adjust the driver’s seat, which had been set for Han Woohyun’s large frame, to fit myself, Han Woohyun asked,

 

“Do you really like driving?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

I must have smiled without realizing it.

 

One of the best things about coming down to Yeongchun-myeon is driving.

 

Back in Seoul, I couldn’t even afford a car, let alone dream of driving because of the traffic jams.

 

“Me again…”

 

“Again?”

 

“No.”

 

What. Just now.

 

I was briefly curious as Han Woohyun smiled bitterly, but my attention was completely focused on driving as I was trying to get out of the narrow parking space due to double parking.

 

Han Woohyun spoke as he placed his hand on the passenger seat headrest, watched the rear view, and turned the steering wheel.

 

“You’re doing it without looking at the camera?”

 

“Mhm. It’s more comfortable this way. When I was twenty, I learned to drive from Aunt Misoon and Uncle Junsoo using an old SA5 without a camera. Uncle Junsoo’s a great driver and knows the area well.”

 

He got seriously scolded by Uncle Minhyuk when it was found out that he also taught me how to ride a motorcycle.

 

As I let out a small laugh at the memory, Han Woohyun quietly looked at my profile and said,

 

He was so quiet that I could feel his gaze.

 

“I kind of understand.”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“The reason you didn’t like me.”

 

Han Woohyun fiddled with his shirt collar as he spoke. Uncharacteristically, he even started looking into the mirror attached to the sun visor on the passenger side.

 

“So now I’m trying to look good to you.”

 

“Haven’t you already been subtly trying to look good all this time?”

 

That’s why I thought he kept quiet even after getting beaten up all the time.

 

Perhaps he heard my quiet mumble, because Han Woohyun responded.

 

“That was just because I can take a hit well.”

 

No matter how tough you are, could it really be okay to get hit seriously by an S-rank Hunter?

 

It was an illogical thought, but soon I witnessed the result of Han Woohyun’s ‘decision.’

 

“Open the trunk.”

 

Inside the trunk that Han Woohyun asked me to open, a whole bunch of things started spilling out—from a Hanwoo beef set to a fruit basket, and even toys for the twins.

 

“What… is all this?”

 

“I can’t exactly act cute at my age.”

 

“….?”

 

What is this?

 

What are you talking about?

 

“….?”

 

I stared blankly as Han Woohyun took off his jacket.

 

What is he doing?

 

When he even started unbuttoning his shirt, I couldn’t help but look away.

 

“W, what are you doing…?”

 

That too on the street!

 

“….”

 

I cautiously turned my head back and saw Han Woohyun, wearing a plain T-shirt under his shirt, looking just above my head with a subtle expression.

 

He also covered his mouth with a red face.

 

“….?”

 

“I was just about to change clothes.”

 

Han Woohyun looked down at me with a subtle expression.

 

Ah, I see. So you were planning to change clothes out here on the street.

 

‘…There’s no way I could understand that.’

 

Just as I was about to get angry, Han Woohyun slightly lowered his head and brought his face close to mine.

 

“You can have bad thoughts.”

 

“….!”

 

I couldn’t help but hold my breath at the sight of the corners of his lips going up slightly.

 

And—

 

And most of all—

 

Why are you changing into a hanbok?

 

“Oh, this? The president of the association gave it to me. He said the BJF members would like it.”

 

“That’s a joke!”

 

Are you kidding me?

 

“I know.”

 

Han Woohyun smiled as he casually put on his traditional robe, just like he did at the Goblin Tavern.

 

“It’s just to deceive them.”

 

I stood dumbfounded, watching Han Woohyun’s back as he walked lightly wearing the navy-blue traditional robe.

 

I thought that smile just now was quite confident.

 

* * *

 

The world number one ranking has changed.

 

Researcher Moon Seokpil, who was stunned by this incredible fact, left it alone while the rest of the researchers started analyzing the data again.

 

Analysis, analysis.

 

Watching the ongoing analysis of the already released results with disbelief, Louisa Villani, who had been quietly observing from the side, stood up from her seat.

 

Her snowy white hair neatly tied back, she wore a fitted turtleneck that accentuated her slender frame.

 

Despite dedicating herself to research for many years, she had taken good care of her body, and even in her advanced age, her straight back and upright posture seemed to reflect her strong character.

 

‘She must not be an ordinary picky person.’

 

All the researchers who saw Luisa arrive thought the same.

 

Even though she must have made a fortune and gained worldwide fame by creating the Louisa program, her unadorned appearance, without a single luxury item, made her seem almost like a noble scholar.

 

So, the moment she stood up, the busy hands of the researchers came to a halt.

 

They all had similar thoughts.

 

What did I do wrong?

 

It felt like stepping back into a lab experiment under a strict professor after graduating from school for the first time in a long while.

 

“There’s nothing wrong. No matter how many times we check and recheck, it won’t change.”

 

Louisa stepped among the terrified researchers, pointed to a few graphs herself, and spoke in perfect East Coast American English.

 

She calmly explained the few messy experimental values that the researchers had been suspicious of, then looked at them with composed eyes.

 

“Now we have no choice but to admit it. The world’s number one came from this country.”

 

“….!”

 

Everyone held their breath.

 

Even Moon Seokpil, who had been lying on the sofa, sat up and listened.

 

“This Hunter—was it said they were non-combat type?”

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

“For the time being, offers will probably pour in from guilds all around the world.”

 

“Yes. That’s right…?”

 

Seeing the tense faces of the association researchers, Louisa fidgeted with the phone in her pocket.

 

The world’s number one from this small country.

 

In terms of power, South Korea is by no means a country to be underestimated, but in cases like Moon Heeyeong—who voluntarily chooses to move to the U.S.—the government cannot block naturalization solely because the person is a Hunter.

 

What’s more, if the Hunter was in a non-combat class, they could largely avoid moral criticism as well—after all, they weren’t the type to be deployed in life-threatening incidents like sudden gate outbreaks.

 

So for the time being, there will be a war over the woman in this record.

 

A recruitment war.

 

Louisa thought about the obvious future.

 

Countless guilds would throw out enormous offers for this Hunter. The Hunter would pretend to refuse while actually taking the lead in negotiations. Meanwhile, the Hunter Association would squirm, trying to make some vague, awkward deal—only to get rejected in the end.

 

Because patriotism is powerless in front of money.

 

It’s not like we’re in the middle of a national disaster like during the Great Catastrophe.

 

Louisa remembered that she also had to report this woman to her home country.

 

This wasn’t an act of patriotism, either. She was simply not free to act as she pleased—being part of a national research institute and funded by government money.

 

“Where does this hunter belong now?”

 

Let’s check first.

 

“Oh. Hunter Lee Junghyo isn’t affiliated with any organization—she’s self-employed.”

 

However, a strange answer came back.

 

“She’s not just self-employed—she’s in the hotel business.”

 

At that moment, Moon Seokpil, who had been sitting there, stood up and took his phone out of his pocket to show it.

 

It was a hotel vacation video uploaded on the Dungeon Hotel notification department’s account.

 

In the video, Junghyo was wearing her uniform, smiling brightly, and greeting viewers.

 

Welcome to the Dungeon Hotel.

 

“She is the pride of this country—Hunter Lee Junghyo.”

 

For some reason, Moon Seokpil clenched his fist tightly and emphatically said each syllable “Lee. Junghyo.”

 

When Louisa saw that, she flinched back. Another researcher muttered.

 

“You said you didn’t know anything about Yeongchun Hotel… so when did you even watch the video?”

 

However, the researchers who said that also looked at Louisa with faces similar to Moon Seokpil.

 

Somehow, their eyes were slightly…turned.

 

“There are still people who don’t know about Dungeon Hotel.”

 

“Watch this video too.”

 

“This photo too.”

 

“This article too.”

 

Louisa Villani found herself trapped among them for a while, barely able to breathe, and before she knew it, she had booked a week at Yeongchun Hotel using a reservation voucher provided by the association.

 

There was no other way.

 

After watching countless videos and photos of delicious food, stunning scenery, and the adorable spirit staff that have multiplied since it became a five-star hotel, she found herself wanting to visit this hotel at least once.