Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 327 - Side Story 2. People Who Just Occasionally Have a Meal Together (1) 

Side Story 2. People Who Just Occasionally Have a Meal Together (1) 

 

The top floor of the Baekho Guild. 

 

The doors of the elevator that led directly to the guild master’s office opened.

 

Hearing the elevator beyond the partition, Shim Jiyoon put down the documents she had been reviewing and rubbed her brows wearily. 

 

Because she already knew exactly who was coming.

 

Shim Jiyoon stood up from her seat and approached the reception table to sit down. 

 

Then, a woman wearing a jacket over a stylishly wrinkled dress entered, fluttering a charming smile. She boasted radiant skin that made it impossible to believe she was middle-aged.

 

“It’s been so hard to see your face, my baby.”

 

There was a gleam of delight in her snake-like, wicked eyes. 

 

Moon Heeyoung.

 

She was one of only eight S-rank hunters in South Korea, who had just gone through the recent contract renewal season. 

 

Eight, huh. Considering the size of this small country, that was actually a significant number, but among them, Han Minhyuk and Kim Junsoo had already announced their retirement from active duty, while Hwang Misoon and Yoojun were in the production sector. 

 

‘More than anything, I can’t dare to approach the coveted S-rank hunters…’

 

The owner of Yeongchun Hotel had now grown to a level managed not just at the national level, but by international organizations. 

 

Turning down countless recruitment offers from various guilds, Yeongchun Hotel continued to operate tirelessly for the sake of all hunters in this world. 

 

Shim Jiyoon was the one who respected and supported the president’s decision more than anyone else. She also thought it was a reasonable choice. 

 

After all, she was already earning as much as the world’s top guilds.

 

Given the situation, there were only two active combat-type hunters left who could operate within the Baekho Guild.

 

Han Woohyun and Moon Heeyoung were the two, but Woohyun had recently renewed his contract with the Hanwoon Guild under incredibly favorable terms.

 

‘He probably still has feelings for Baekho.’

 

She never expected him to come to Baekho.

 

The only one left was Moon Heeyoung.

 

She couldn’t afford to let her guard down, since she had already signed a contract with Baekho. Her contract would expire in a few months. 

 

It was a fairly short period.

 

The problem was that, from the start, they had agreed to her request to make the contract period short when signing the agreement.

 

‘Still, quite a few hunters had been drawn in over time thanks to Moon Heeyoung’s name value.’

 

And this time, she had prepared even better contract terms than before. 

 

Shim Jiyoon smiled confidently and settled onto the reception sofa. 

 

“You’re right. I’ve been thoughtlessly busy all this time. From now on, let’s have meals more often and coffee like this too.”

 

Shim Jiyoon gave a subtle glance to her secretary, and the secretary immediately approached. 

 

“What kind of coffee?”

 

“A warm Americano.”

 

Shim Jiyoon nodded slightly at Moon Heeyoung’s order and said to her secretary. 

 

“I’ll have a cold brew.”

 

The secretary served a warm Americano to Moon Heeyoung, and for Shim Jiyoon, brought a glass with ice, water, and cold brew concentrate, mixing it right in front of her. 

 

Seeing that, Moon Heeyoung slightly furrowed her brows. 

 

“You really do like unusual things, huh.”

 

“Yes, a little.”

 

Having lived in the U.S., Moon Heeyoung wasn’t particularly fond of this kind of coffee. 

 

Actually, it wasn’t just Shim Jiyoon; this coffee was a little different. This one— 

 

Negotiation Power MAX Cold Brew ©

 

—boosts negotiation power by 400%.

 

It was coffee she had ordered in advance from the Yeongchun Hotel. After she explained the whole situation, the owner even wrote the label by hand for her.

 

Fighting 🙂

 

Honestly, so cute.

 

Shim Jiyoon found her gaze drawn to the handwriting without realizing it—

 

“….”

 

Then quickly snapped back to her senses when she realized she was sitting across from the snake-like Moon Heeyoung. 

 

“So, have you given it some thought?”

 

“Yes? About what…” 

 

“My price?”

 

The way she crossed her legs beneath the form-fitting dress as she asked the question was strangely sensual.

 

What a strange woman.

 

Shim Jiyoon leaned back, thinking that.

 

If she wants the price, she’s confident in that.

 

Still, she can’t reveal the upper limit right away, so she’ll have to start step by step.

 

Shim Jiyoon explained the contract terms she had prepared with that resolve in mind. Maybe it was because of the cold brew, but even to her own ears, the words flowed out with remarkable smoothness.

 

She wasn’t bad at speaking to begin with, either.

 

After hearing all of Shim Jiyoon’s terms, Moon Heeyoung smiled sweetly.

 

“Wow. That’s not great.”

 

“….”

 

Damn it. 

 

Shim Jiyoon realized it as she saw Moon Heeyoung’s eyes light up—the other side knew that her terms could be pushed even higher.

 

‘The Scales of Justice.’

 

It’s because of her skills.

 

It wasn’t someone she could deal with just because they were good with words. Shim Jiyoon knew that when she started the negotiation.

 

“Then please tell me the terms you want. I’ll see what I can do. If you’ve received any offers from other guilds, it would be even better if you let me know.”

 

Like Hanwoon.

 

Like Hanwoon.

 

Like Hanwoon.

 

Shim Jiyoon had recently been under stress from being the second-ranked guild.

 

These days, all the hunters worth recruiting were being snatched up by Hanwoon. Even the media play she had once been confident in was being aggressively used by Hanwoon as well.

 

All of this was because Han Woohyun’s stock had risen. His world ranking had even risen two places. 

 

On top of that, his public recognition among ordinary people was steadily rising due to the scandal with the boss.

 

Even middle-aged people with no interest in hunters knew about the Yeongchun Hotel, as its name recognition was that high. 

 

Not long ago, photos of them on a date at an amusement park, wearing school uniforms, were taken and ended up flooding every community forum and social media platform.

 

‘Does he really think that puppy headband suits him…’

 

For some reason, the photo stirred up a surge of anger in her. Comments said that honey seemed to drip from the way Team Leader Han looked at the boss, but to her, it simply looked like satisfaction. 

 

The satisfaction of becoming the world’s brightest hunter’s dog.

 

‘I could have done that too.’

 

Shim Jiyoon felt a strong sense of jealousy over that fact.

 

That was precisely why she couldn’t afford to lose Moon Heeyoung. She couldn’t let Hanwoon take everything.

 

“I’ll make sure to meet your terms—”

 

“My asking price stays the same as in the last contract. You can just match everything else as well.”

 

“…Yes?” 

 

However, the terms Moon Heeyoung proposed were unexpected.

 

They were, in fact, even lower than the terms she had originally proposed.

 

This had to be some kind of trap.

 

“And the other terms…?”

 

Shim Jiyoon was tense, but Moon Heeyoung looked at her with calm eyes and spoke.

 

“Of course there is.” 

 

As expected.

 

Shim Jiyoon tried her best to keep her nerves to herself.

 

What do you want?

 

She would probably demand something on par with the signing bonus—a private jet, a yacht…Whatever it was, Shim Jiyoon had been prepared to provide it—

 

“Publish an article saying my contract renewal wasn’t finalized.”

 

Once again, her expectations were off.

 

Moon Heeyoung put down the empty coffee cup and spoke with a bright smile on her red lips. 

 

“Make sure every guild in the world contacts me.”

 

Crazy woman.

 

Shim Jiyoon’s impression of Moon Heeyoung was confirmed.

 

* * *

 

After passing through a pitch-black corridor, a gray door came into view. When the attendant server waiting in front of the door opened it, a well-lit room appeared, starkly different from the dark corridor outside. 

 

A tranquil Korean dining room where the pillars and roof tiles evoked the feel of a hanok, while the wallpaper, flooring, and tables gave off a modern sensibility.

 

Inside, there was a man sitting with his legs crossed, as if showing off his long limbs. Moon Heeyoung spoke to his handsome profile as he quietly gazed out at the garden beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass, not even looking at his phone. 

 

“It’s been a while.”

 

“….”

 

Only then did Han Minhyuk turn his head toward Moon Heeyoung, as if he had just noticed her presence.

 

Wasn’t it practically cheating for someone nearing fifty to look like that?

 

Thinking that giving up tens of billions on her asking price hadn’t been a waste just to see that handsome face, Moon Heeyoung took a seat. 

 

Without even waiting through the brief moment it took her to adjust her chair, Han Minhyuk placed the contract on the tablecloth.

 

“Sign it.”

 

“Isn’t there a limit to how fast you can jump straight to the point?”

 

Moon Heeyoung spoke as if she couldn’t believe it.

 

“Is there any point in wasting time? You trashed the second-ranked guild in the country, and now the top-ranked guild has brought the contract—of course you have to sign.” 

 

It was a noble voice that perfectly suited such an arrogant statement.

 

“It’s a contract similar to Han Woohyun’s.”

 

“Similar. Not exactly the same.”

 

Moon Heeyoung didn’t even bother to skim the contract and instead took a spoonful of the pine nut porridge that had been served first. The aroma spreading in her mouth was quite pleasant.

 

“You’re feeding me expensive food. But isn’t your taste a bit too classical? I expected steak and wine.”

 

“Consider your age.”

 

And here she was saying that, looking like she was barely in her late thirties at most.

 

Moon Heeyoung let out a wry smile and looked out at the view Han Minhyuk was watching.

 

What was he looking at?

 

The moment she looked out the window,

 

She spotted a man at a table in the garden, talking with a woman.

 

The smile that had lingered on her lips vanished.

 

She seemed to understand what Han Minhyuk had been looking at.

 

“Seoul really is small. I ran into my ex-husband as soon as he came to Korea.”

 

It was her ex-husband.

 

When Moon Heeyoung said that, Han Minhyuk pointed to the woman standing next to her ex-husband. 

 

“Isn’t that the eldest daughter of the Jeongil Group you went to college with?”

 

Moon Heeyoung smiled brightly and nodded.

 

“Mhm. That’s right. I heard they had been dating since I married him.”