Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 347 - Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (18)

Webtoon Side Story: Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Branch 4 (18)

 

At that moment, Kang Miyeon was at Yeongchun Hotel.

 

She was staring at Lim Sehwan with a serious expression.

 

“Master Lim Sehwan.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

Sitting across from her, he replied obediently, his face completely frozen. 

 

Sweat was trickling down his temples.

 

With his legs trembling incessantly, he looked like a student summoned to the principal’s office for something bad. 

 

“What were you doing at Hyeyu Elementary School yesterday?”

 

“Yes? Ah, that….”

 

Lim Sehwan bit his dry lips lightly, as if he had been struck right in the heart.

 

“Well… the owner of Yonggung Sashimi Restaurant… I mean, Hyeyu’s grandmother… she said she was busy with a group order at the time Hyeyu was supposed to be picked up, so….”

 

“Yes. I’m grateful for that. For picking up Hyeyu instead of my mother.”

 

Kang Miyeon’s words brightened Lim Sehwan’s face.

 

It was like he had found a ray of light in the darkness.

 

“Ri-right? Exactly. They say it takes a whole village to raise a child…” 

 

“Then why did every single kid in Hyeyu’s class end up with one of these?” 

 

Cutting off Lim Sehwan’s rambling, Kang Miyeon placed something on the table.

 

It was a sparkling pencil case.

 

Master’s Talent-Wasted Pencil Case (F)

 

—When opened, the desired writing instrument moves automatically to the front.

 

—Opens and closes on its own.

 

—A pencil case made by a master wasting his talent; carrying it randomly increases concentration slightly, though the effect is minimal.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

There was no way Miyeon could not recognize the mark engraved beneath the pencil case: ‘Master Lim Sehwan.’

 

Kang Miyeon pressed her forehead and let out a deep sigh.

 

Lim Sehwan, standing before her, tried to think of an explanation.

 

But he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

 

How on earth could he explain this?

 

He had gone to Hyeyu’s school at the grandmother’s request, the students there had become interested in the uncle who came with Hyeyu, and Hyeyu, feeling proud of the attention, had declared, “This uncle is like family to me!”—

 

‘And I just felt so good about it…?’

 

So, to give Hyeyu, who had never gone to school with an adult male before, Lim Sehwan had made twenty of these pencil cases and handed them out to the entire class the next day?

 

‘No explanation will do anything but displease the Manager.’ 

 

Knowing this, Lim Sehwan sealed his lips.

 

He knew it too.

 

Manager Kang Miyeon had no romantic interest in him, who was much younger, and in fact would find such attention burdensome.

 

So he could guess the reason she was angry now.

 

The reason Lim Sehwan had tried to win Hyeyu’s favor—

 

“Did Hyeyu ask for this? Asking you to give these as gifts to influence the class president election?”

 

“Eh? C-class president election?”

 

…Class president election?

 

But Lim Sehwan tilted his head at the unexpected remark.

 

“Yes! The class president election! Don’t you know that handing these out two days before the election is a clear violation of fair election rules?”

 

“…?”

 

Lim Sehwan had no idea there was a class president election in Hyeyu’s class, so he was left bewildered.

 

He recalled Hyeyu’s proud expression.

 

‘Wow, so you have Hunter Uncle too?’

 

‘Of course! I have Hunter Uncle and Hunter Sister! If we become friends, she’ll even give you her autograph!’

 

So that was just using ‘Hunter Uncle’ for leverage…?

 

He finally felt as if he’d been smacked in the back of the head.

 

Come to think of it, Hyeyu had subtly insisted on the pencil cases before.

 

‘That friend from earlier. You remember her, right? The one who said Hunter uncle is handsome.’

 

‘Y-yes, I remember…’

 

‘That’s Yurim. She’s a close friend of mine, and she said she wanted a pencil case for her birthday. I’m worried about what to buy her. I’m almost out of allowance…’

 

At those words, Hyejin, who had been sitting in the back seat, had said this as if it were absurd. 

 

‘Hey. Stop using Hunter uncle.’

 

To think those words were foreshadowing. 

 

To think he was used for a rigged election! 

 

Unaware of that, he had been having pathetic thoughts about whether he had fulfilled Hyeyu’s dream of going to school with a dad. 

 

Just as Lim Sehwan’s eyes widened in this sudden realization, Kang Miyeon’s furious face appeared before him.

 

“The day after Hunter Lim Sehwan handed out these pencil cases, Yurim handed out hamburgers. And today, they say Cheolhun’s family brought in raw fish from their house. The teacher called to say the kids won’t drink their school milk!” 

 

“…I-I never expected it would have that kind of impact.”

 

Bang!

 

Kang Miyeon slammed her fist on the table.

 

Kang Miyeon was also an Awakened. 

 

Under the strength of an Awakened, the table became a wreck. 

 

Lim Sehwan fidgeted with the wobbly table legs, heart aching.

 

‘I’ll have to fix this later….’

 

“Why on earth did you do that?” 

 

“I… I just thought it would have a positive effect on Hyeyu’s social relationships….”

 

With a bit of ulterior motive… 

 

Was something he could never say.

 

“Relationships bought with money or things can’t possibly be positive, Sehwan-ssi.”

 

“Eh? Y-yes… th-that’s right…”

 

But didn’t she just say ‘Sehwan-ssi’?

 

That small address made Lim Sehwan feel a strange sensation.

 

But Kang Miyeon didn’t care about such changes.

 

She simply pressed her head with her hands and spoke firmly to Lim Sehwan.

 

“Whatever the case, I will accept the gifts you already gave the children as a gesture of goodwill. Although Artisan items are a bit much for young civilian children… Of course, I can’t accept them for free. It’s a small amount, but I’ve put some money in here.”

 

“…Y-you don’t have to give me this…”

 

“Take it. It’s a gesture of sincerity.”

 

Lim Sehwan couldn’t bring himself to refuse the envelope of money Kang Miyeon was pushing forward so resolutely.

 

Of course, only a ‘sincere’ amount was actually in that envelope. So it was a relief.

 

“I told you it was a small amount! It’s not like I commissioned these items…!”

 

“I didn’t say anything.”

 

“I saw your expression of disappointment just now.”

 

“It was an expression of relief.”

 

“…Why relieved?”

 

“Because, well, I didn’t want to take money from the person I like.”

 

“…?”

 

The words had blurted out.

 

Kang Miyeon wore a look of total incomprehension, as if what Lim Sehwan had said was some kind of code.

 

Instead, it was Lim Sehwan whose face turned beet red, startled by his own words.

 

Only after seeing Lim Sehwan’s expression, which looked ready to explode, did Kang Miyeon’s eyes widened.

 

The words that had seemed like an unsolved cipher were beginning to make sense bit by bit.

 

It was just as she was stammering, unable to think of a reply.

 

Her phone rang.

 

It was a relief. 

 

She quickly picked up the phone, overjoyed to have found an escape.

 

“I’m sorry, but this might be for work. Just a moment.”

 

“Yes, please go ahead…”

 

Kang Miyeon quickly opened her phone.

 

Please let it be work. Please…

 

That’s when she noticed the messages piled up, all from a familiar name.

 

Boss

 

(Photo) +14

 

Photos?

 

Kang Miyeon pressed the message with a slightly disappointed look.

 

There was a high possibility it wasn’t for work.

 

The boss, visiting France for the first time, occasionally sent photos for Miyeon, who had never been there herself.

 

So she assumed these were landscape photos this time too and opened the message.

 

Boss

 

Manager. I was going to call you, but first, I’m sending photos because I don’t think you’ll believe me just by hearing it.

 

Unexpectedly, even the first line of the unread message was unusual.

 

And in the photos that followed, there was something strange.

 

A revolving door spinning rapidly.

 

Several rats standing around the revolving door, dazed.

 

‘Wait… rats?’

 

Why were the rats acting like that?

 

All the rats were standing on two legs, staring at the revolving door as if amazed.

 

It was a sight that belonged on a program reporting paranormal phenomena.

 

But the strangest thing was at the end.

 

Among the numerous photos was a video.

 

When she pressed play on that video, Junghyo’s face popped up. 

 

[Manager, don’t be too surprised. Please don’t tell anyone else if possible. This is… um… the Liber Monastery. It’s the castle near the winery I mentioned before, and something went wrong while I was here….]

 

Interrupting Junghyo’s words, something suddenly popped out.

 

The ‘person’ who snatched the phone looked at it with a bright smile.

 

[What are you saying to this square box? What’s inside here?]

 

[Ha… give it here.]

 

[No~ way! Oh, my face is on here. Wow, I’m handsome, as expected. I never get tired of looking at it, even after a thousand years!]

 

Kang Miyeon’s eyes went wide at the sight of him on the screen.

 

“Handsome….”

 

Hearing that, Lim Sehwan across from her reacted.

 

“Eh? W-who is that?!”

 

It was when Lim Sehwan stood up.

 

The Junghyo on the phone, who had taken the device again, spoke.

 

[Something strange came out of this Liber Monastery. And at the same time, a Dungeon Hotel revolving door appeared here. So what I mean is… it seems this has become Dungeon Hotel Branch No. 4, Manager.]

 

Crash!

 

Before Junghyo finished speaking, Kang Miyeon sprang from her seat.

 

Because of that, her chair went tumbling to the floor. 

 

Lim Sehwan muttered.

 

“I-I’ll have to fix that later too….”