Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 310 - Side Story 1. An Ordinary Romance (5)

Side Story 1. An Ordinary Romance (5) 

 

When I woke up in the morning, breakfast had been forcibly decided to be hot dogs.

 

“…Why?”

 

Hyejin frowned and looked at Han Woohyun.

 

She had a look of disbelief on her face, unable to believe that he had gone out at dawn, taken a taxi to a nearby franchise hot dog shop, and bought several hot dogs covered in sugar. 

 

Honestly, I can’t believe it either.

 

“I thought it would be suitable for breakfast.”

 

Han Woohyun, with a look as if it were his last shred of conscience, handed Hyejin some milk.  

 

“That’s right! Breakfast is hot dogs!”

 

Hyeyu exclaimed as if it were obvious.

 

Judging by the sugar all over her mouth, Hyeyu looked very happy, but Hyejin seemed dissatisfied.

 

“Didn’t Mom tell you not to eat sweets because they’ll stop you from growing taller?” 

 

“Since when did you become Mom! Let me eat what I want too!”

 

These days, Hyejin was going through the season of middle school angst.

 

But Hyejin’s middle school angst was somewhat unusual—she acted as if she were already an adult.

 

She would nag Hyeyu about everything, try not to speak excitedly like before, and seemed embarrassed to actively go after what she wanted.

 

‘Now that I’ve laid it all out, I wonder if it’s too complicated to just call it middle school syndrome.’

 

But the general manager said that even these behaviors of Hyejin’s were part of her middle school angst and that he was worried it was causing frequent arguments with Hyeyu.

 

‘Watching from the side like this, the frequency of their fights has definitely increased.’

 

‘Since I’m a single mom, I think Hyejin is trying to take on the role of a mother too. And it seems to manifest strangely when it meets adolescence, I guess.’

 

Hmm.

 

That could be true.

 

The time Hyejin was kidnapped by the goblin last time also happened because she was trying too hard to understand her mom’s feelings.

 

“I won’t eat.”

 

Hyejin refused to eat until breakfast, facing Hyeyu’s defiance.

 

Han Woohyun seemed flustered and offered to get her something else to eat, but Hyejin pulled her hood over her head and said she would go for a walk until checkout time.

 

“But breakfast—”

 

“Let’s do it.”

 

I interrupted Han Woohyun and got up with Hyejin. 

 

Hyejin looked at me with a flustered expression. Apparently, she expected me, like Han Woohyun—or even like Mom—to break her stubbornness. 

 

But I don’t think it’s that stubborn.

 

“I want to go for a walk too. I hardly eat breakfast unless it’s Korean food.”

 

As soon as I finished speaking, I quietly looked at Han Woohyun.

 

Coming all the way here with a bunch of hot dogs without saying a word is a bit of a problem, isn’t it?

 

“…”

 

He stayed silent, as if he knew he was at fault.

 

I pressed Han Woohyun down to stop him from following and walked along the artificial lake with Hyejin.

 

There were people who had come out to exercise this early in the morning, and others who were out on dates.

 

Near the artificial lake, the amusement park had just opened, and the screams of people could be heard.

 

It’s really… an artificial-feeling lake.

 

“Is this the taste of Seoul?”

 

I muttered, and Hyejin asked curtly.

 

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

 

“I just did. I asked if it tasted like Seoul.”

 

“…” 

 

Hyejin paused for a moment at my words, then frowned.

 

“No, I got upset and came out without having breakfast. Didn’t you come out with me to talk separately?”

 

“Um… no.”

 

I completely misjudged you.

 

“I just don’t eat breakfast unless it’s Korean food.”

 

I smiled softly and placed my hand on Hyejin’s head.

 

I could feel it growing gradually, so I figured I should be on alert.

 

“Did you really come out just because of that? You didn’t come to scold me, right?”

 

“Mhm. If there’s something I want to say, I’d come out and say I want to talk.”

 

Hyejin looked up at me and smacked her lips with a “pfft” sound, like a deflating balloon.

 

“Did you… want to be scolded?”

 

“No!”

 

Hyejin hesitated and talked.

 

“I just get unnecessarily angry when Hyeyu eats sweet things. Why doesn’t she listen to me? What if she really doesn’t grow because of it?”

 

I remembered Hyeyu’s height.

 

She’s supposedly in the front row of her class, but when I pick her up from school, she doesn’t seem significantly smaller compared to the younger students leaving school.

 

By the way…

 

“Do you really get angry when Hyeyu eats sweets?”

 

I blinked as I looked down at Hyejin’s expression.

 

Hyejin shook her head. 

 

“Exactly. I’m really worried because Hyeyu is small. They say girls don’t grow much after the upper grades of elementary school!” 

 

“Who says that?”

 

“I saw it on YouTube.”

 

 Along with that, Hyejin went on at length about how much sugar elementary school students eat these days, and how much Hyeyu eats in particular.

 

“Anyway, the kids these days.”

 

And at the end of her words, she added something I had heard many times before.

 

Now that I think about it, Hyejin wasn’t just nagging Hyeyu for Mom’s sake—she was genuinely worried about her. 

 

I smiled and patted Hyejin’s shoulder.

 

“You’ve grown up too, huh.”

 

“Yes?” 

 

“It’s nothing.” 

 

Isn’t it said that even in ancient Greek temples, there was a phrase like “kids these days”?

 

After passing through a certain period, it’s a natural instinct to want to meddle in the behaviors or attitudes of the people going through it.

 

It could also be evidence that you got through that period well.

 

“Anyway, I’m sorry for coming out without having breakfast…”

 

Hyejin told me in a crawling voice. I smiled and answered.

 

“It’s okay. Some people eat breakfast and some people don’t eat.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“So.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“It’s okay if you don’t eat breakfast, and it’s fine to have hot dogs for breakfast. But if it gets too much, explain it then. You can even explain it as if skipping breakfast was your choice. But from my perspective—”

 

I still looked at Hyejin’s eyes.

 

I haven’t used it yet after leaving the hotel, but let’s use it now.

 

‘Communication skills activated.’

 

At the same time I thought it, a window appeared, showing Hyejin’s feelings.

 

Just in case my guess was wrong.

 

I wondered if Hyejin wasn’t worried about Hyeyu, but was actually angry because Hyeyu had upset Mom.

 

‘Memory Communication (A)’ activated…

 

The ‘Potential Guest’ is thinking of someone and feeling worried.

 

 

But the answer was as expected.

 

“You’re not really angry at Hyeyu—you’re worried. But I think you’ve mislabeled your feelings, which is why people around you keep misunderstanding. It’s fine to just keep saying you’re worried. That’s expressing your feelings. It only becomes forcing your will when you start getting angry on top of that.”

 

At my words, Hyejin’s face briefly turned thoughtful.

 

She didn’t answer whether she would take my words to heart, but I could understand Hyejin’s feelings well enough.

 

The ‘Potential Guest’ feels sorry toward someone. 

 

I quietly looked at the window and then asked Hyejin.

 

“Let’s sit for a bit before we go. There seems to be a place nearby that serves hangover soup—would be nice to eat before we leave.”

 

In fact, I searched in advance.

 

On the first day of vacation, a hangover almost felt welcome, but experiencing it again as an ordinary person, by the second day it immediately felt cursed.

 

As expected, I miss a world without hangovers.

 

“You two drank together?”

 

Hyejin hit the nail on the head.

 

“Uh… Yes.”

 

I have to be honest.

 

We just need to keep it a secret that we slept in the same room.

 

“So, are you going to marry Woohyun Oppa?” 

 

“Mhm?”

 

Marriage?

 

Lately, it feels like so many people are asking this.

 

I smiled and avoided the answer.

 

“Right now, we’re together simply because we enjoy being together.”

 

I had thought that I should probably get married around my thirties, but now that the partner is specific, I didn’t feel like making plans on my own.

 

I haven’t been running my own business for very long.

 

“On YouTube, they’re always saying you two broke up, and sometimes that you’re getting married.”

 

“You’d better stop watching YouTube. Cut it down.”

 

“Are you angry, are you worried?”

 

“…It’s both.” 

 

I ended up chatting about pointless things, sitting for a long time on a nearby bench with Hyejin, and then returned to the hotel.

 

Of course, one question still remained.

 

If all my abilities were debuffed, why were my skills activating so well?

 

* * *

 

There was no beautiful ending in reality where Hyejin returned to the lodging, apologized to Hyeyu, and Hyeyu accepted her apology.

 

“Nam Hyeyu…! No, Kang Hyeyu…! Your sister is apologizing, and you’re sticking your tongue out?!”

 

“Just because you say you’re sorry, I have to accept everything?! Is it enough for you to just get angry and apologize?! And you didn’t even share the hot dogs!”

 

“You? To your sister! Oh my, what are elementary school kids trying to be these days?” 

 

“How long has it been since you graduated from elementary school?!”

 

 “Come here.”

 

Manager Kang Miyeon

 

(Picture)  

 

The kids got back safely~ Thank you >_< The hotel is running smoothly too, so enjoy the rest of your time on your date! 

 

I was opening the manager’s messenger window when I suddenly noticed Han Woohyun’s messenger profile.

 

There was a photo of the two of us together.

 

It was a photo taken at an amusement park while we were wearing school uniforms.

 

My favorite

 

Beneath it, these words were written.

 

I quietly stared at the words for no particular reason.

 

It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve heard him say he likes me, so why does my heart still feel so full and tight whenever Han Woohyun says something like this?

 

‘It’s weird.’

 

I hesitated for a moment, then changed my profile picture to another photo taken at the amusement park.

 

As soon as I changed the photo, a message popped up.

 

Choi Minji

 

Now they’ve even got matching couple profile pictures.

 

Choi Minji is quick, as expected.

 

Choi Minji

 

I feel like Han Woohyun doesn’t really like me.

 

It feels like he got mad at me for setting up that blind date ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Hurry and come over.

 

I checked the message and headed up from the parking lot to the bar on the upper floor of the building.

 

It was a gathering set up because Minji said it was awkward with Woohyun, but since Han Woohyun and I were going to be there, I heard quite a few other friends showed up too—

 

“…I heard they broke up, but it looks like it was just another lie from a cyber wrecker.”

 

I froze for a moment before the face of the girl I’d seen at the hotel. 

 

The reason was simple.

 

“Oh, your name is…”

 

“It’s Chae Minyoung. I wish you two would stop taking turns getting my name wrong.”

 

Chae Minyoung pointed at me and Han Woohyun.