Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 324 - Side Story 1. An Ordinary Romance (19)

Side Story 1. An Ordinary Romance (19)

 

“Seriously, why didn’t you tell me?”

 

I felt his hands wrap around my waist as if he had been waiting, and I stroked the back of Han Woohyun’s head.

 

Then, with a hint of resentment, I tugged at his hair.

 

At that, Han Woohyun’s head lifted.

 

His eyes are red.

 

Is he crying? 

 

“Because it’s hard?”

 

I carefully chose my words before speaking.

 

It’s okay to find it hard.

 

Whatever it is, it’s the death of a family member.

 

I may not want to think of him as family at all, and if I could, I’d rather spit curses at the dead—but if you say he was family, then—

 

“This?”

 

Han Woohyun scrubbed his face roughly, as if he didn’t know how to react.

 

“No. This is…”

 

“…?”

 

“This is because I miss you.”

 

“What?”

 

What the hell is that supposed to mean? As if just blushing fixes everything.

 

This guy has a habit of trying to cover up strange things with an innocent, delicate-looking face.

 

“I didn’t contact you because I thought it was something you didn’t need to know.”

 

Han Woohyun spoke hesitantly.

 

“Now that I’m actually here, it’s not a big deal. I thought it would be. You know, honestly—”

 

Han Woohyun avoided my gaze and looked down.

 

Fidgeting with my fingers, he continued speaking with difficulty.

 

“I thought that if I came here… I’d want to kill that man.”

 

“….”

 

“Because it was like that before.”

 

I was a little surprised.

 

I’m not at all surprised that the gentle person I know was actually capable of such a scary thought; what surprised me was that they honestly shared this kind of story with me.

 

Normally, I’d have to press a bit more to get them to say something like this.

 

“See, isn’t this divine punishment? I thought that knowing your situation, you’d at least want to say something nasty…”

 

“So it didn’t bother you at all.”

 

I bit my lip while looking into Han Woohyun’s round, ox-like eyes.

 

Han Woohyun nodded.

 

It was nothing.

 

The depths of Han Woo-hyun as he speaks.

 

The self-image he feared would be revealed when all the good things that filled him dried up. 

 

That was his uncle.

 

A violent person who distorts reality to suit themselves and, in the end, vents their inferiority onto those weaker than them.

 

I thought Han Woohyun would be deeply shaken if he faced someone like that again, but hearing him speak so calmly, it seems he truly means it.

 

Maybe he really has come through a long, long tunnel.

 

“I just kept thinking of you. I didn’t know why I had to be here, so I just wanted to see you. I was already reaching my limit anyway—”

 

Han Woohyun smiled, pushing my hair back. 

 

“You just happened to come at exactly the right moment.”

 

“But…”

 

I pretended not to notice the shivers running down my spine from the hand brushing back my hair and avoided Han Woohyun’s gaze.

 

“Mhm?” 

 

“There’s a bit of a problem…”

 

I called someone over.

 

“Hmm?” 

 

While Han Woohyun tilted his head in confusion under the streetlight, someone’s voice could be heard.

 

“No matter how I looked at it, it looks like Junghyo must have gotten the address wrong. This is the funeral home, isn’t it?” 

 

The owner of the languid voice was Aunt Heeyoung.

 

I called.

 

“I’d say he’s been hospitalized. Otherwise, why would he disappear like this? He must have been given a terminal diagnosis.”

 

“Or what are you going to do about it?”

 

“What do you mean, what? I’m going to kill him. I even made a new semi‑automatic carbine this time.”

 

“You crazy idiot. That’s for hunting monsters in dungeons—use that in civilian life and you’ll get arrested!”

 

“I’ll take care of it.”

 

And this is Aunt Misoon.

 

I never called her.

 

On my way here, I sent Aunt Heeyoung a message, but it seems it got a bit distorted.

 

Aunt Heeyoung

 

Are you getting there okay? I was worried. Maybe I should’ve just gone with you. You were drunk.

 

Then you can come. I think the situation might be a bit bigger than I expected.

 

What I meant by “a big situation” here was **never** something extreme like a terminal diagnosis.

 

I just said it because I found out Uncle Min-hyuk was involved, that’s all.

 

Why is it that everything I say to the BJF always ends up so exaggerated!?

 

“Let’s run away.”

 

“…Why?”

 

I immediately recognized the voice coming from afar and grabbed Han Woohyun’s hand to pull him along.

 

But Han Woohyun didn’t move an inch and stayed seated.

 

“I’m worried you’ll get hit again. At that scale, there’s no doubt that…”

 

Other people are coming too.

 

Uncle Junsoo and Dad. 

 

“I’ll get hit, of course. I also have things to say to the BJF.”

 

“What is it that you want to say?”

 

While Han Woohyun and I were talking, the three of them were also having a conversation near the parking lot.

 

While taking out some strange equipment (?) from the trunk.

 

“Hmm… I made some kind of promise to my father, so I think it’s better if I tell him first, take a few hits, and then talk to you.”

 

Han Woohyun frowned.

 

“But you’ll insist on hearing it first, won’t you?”

 

Are you really asking something that obvious?

 

What kind of promise did you two make behind my back this time?

 

I glanced at the three people radiating an overwhelming presence in the parking lot as I spoke.

 

“Tell me.”

 

“Okay. I’ll tell you.”

 

Han Woohyun looked up at me with a rather tense expression.

 

Seeing his face and ears turning red again, it was obvious he was about to say something ridiculous.

 

I was anxiously glancing toward the parking lot when Han Woohyun’s next words made me freeze on the spot.

 

“Marry me.”

 

I felt a chill as if someone had hit me hard in the back of the head.

 

What?

 

Suddenly asking something like this.

 

But Aunt Misoon clearly said that Han Woohyun felt burdened by the idea of starting a family.

 

“What does that have to do with the promise you made with my dad?”

 

I asked absentmindedly, then suddenly realized something.

 

‘So Aunt Misoon misunderstood.’

 

The promise Han Woohyun made with his dad was about marriage, and somewhere along the way, the BJFs who overheard or were told about what he said ended up taking it in the most extreme way again.

 

“…No, but—”

 

“I’m not saying you have to answer right away. I know you’re busy right now, and I also know I should already be grateful that you even spend time with me like this.”

 

Han Woohyun was holding my hand under the streetlight.

 

Fortunately, he wasn’t kneeling, and he was even dressed in funeral clothes.

 

‘If anything, that’s a relief.’

 

If he’d said this in some grand, dramatic way, I might’ve been so overwhelmed that I just broke down.

 

“So for now, just think of it like this: include me in your future. As for me…”

 

Han Woohyun had been speaking rather calmly, but at this point he finally buried his face in his large hands and mumbled.

 

“I was already doing that.”

 

* * *

 

“Coming here without even wearing funeral clothes—honestly, they have no manners at all.”

 

Uncle Minhyuk scolded the three friends who showed up out of nowhere as much as he could.

 

“Why did you even bring something this awful in the first place?”

 

But the Aunts didn’t argue back at all; they just quietly sat down and ate.

 

Because they realized they had misunderstood.

 

“I really got here as fast as I could. I caught the quickest flight out of Amsterdam.”

 

Uncle Junsoo, being the president of the association, said he’d already heard the news. 

 

Two days before the funeral.

 

But because I basically threw Uncle Junsoo at the secretary I assigned, he’d been sent on an overseas business trip and only now managed to hurry back to Korea. 

 

“It took me a full day just to get here, and there weren’t even any flights, so I went through hell. And you—what is all this?”

 

Uncle Junsoo said this as he pulled out the weapon Aunt Misun had skillfully hidden inside her coat.

 

“Well, well. Wouldn’t you get thrown in jail for waving this around outside? Look—did you even load the bullets?”

 

“It’s not that kind of weapon… you idiot…”

 

Aunt Misoon quickly hid the weapon under her coat again.

 

Then, after shooting Uncle Junsoo a glare, she nudged Han Woohyun’s back with her shoulder.

 

“This is all your fault.”

 

“Right. When something like this happens, you should’ve reported to the adults right away. Don’t go and… huh?”’

 

Dad cleared his throat in embarrassment and drank his soju.

 

“How did you get here?”

 

“Um… well… when I heard you went out with an awl to catch Han Woohyun, I also…”

 

“So you mean you were about to join this dangerous sisterhood.”

 

Uncle Junsoo grimaced as he held up Aunt Misoon’s weapon. 

 

“Why is it that whenever our sisters drink, all hell breaks loose?”

 

“Were we the only ones drinking? That kid drank too.”

 

Aunt Misoon pointed at me with an indignant expression.

 

“Why on earth did our Junghyo try to come here with an awl?”

 

Uncle Junsoo grinned, resting his chin on his hand, and asked me.

 

His eyes were full of mischief, clearly wanting to tease me.

 

I glanced at Han Woohyun.

 

Thankfully, he sat next to me unharmed, untouched.

 

He almost got hit by a punch from a drunk Aunt Misoon, but he dodged it skillfully and even caught her as she stumbled.

 

Thanks to that, I haven’t told that kid about that yet.

 

I couldn’t answer either.

 

“Because I miss him.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Because I’m annoyed. I can’t see his face.”

 

Uncle Junsoo burst out laughing at my words.

 

“Wow, as expected of our Junghyo. I love this kind of thing~”

 

Han Woohyun quietly blushed beside me, and Dad said to Uncle Junsoo in a disapproving tone. 

 

“You crazy idiot. This is a funeral home—lower your voice.”

 

“That’s what I’m saying. If it’s a funeral, shouldn’t we at least be playing a round of go-stop? We’re all not going home tonight, right?”

 

Huh?

 

I looked at the BJF with a puzzled expression.

 

But they nodded, as if to say, “Of course.”

 

“Hey. Lay it out.”’

 

Yes?