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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: A Messy Reunion
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So, what's the morning commute like for someone who just survived a dungeon?
You wake up, wash your face, lament the absence of the 100,000-won slacks that were torn to shreds in the dungeon, and fumble into an uncomfortable long skirt.
You swallow a fried egg like you’re drinking it, all because Ms. Hyeon-sook is making a fuss, yelling, “Aren’t you eating breakfast? At least have a bite of this before you go.” You bow your head to your father, who leaves for work before you, then brush your teeth.
Well, up to that point, it was pretty much the same. But things were different from the Mapo branch office onward.
“Ms. Kang Ha-ra?”
“Yes?”
Ha-ra, who was entering the main doors of the Mapo branch with her shoulders slumped, lifted her head at the sound of her name.
She vaguely recognized the person who had suddenly appeared before her as Chief Jeong Yu-jin's secretary. Ha-ra, holding an iced Americano in one hand, blinked blankly, and in the next moment, she was dragged away as if she were being kidnapped.
And when she came to her senses, she was sitting in the Mapo Branch Chief's office.
“Do you have a brain in your head, or not? I told you clearly to come to my office as soon as you got to work.”
Chief Jeong, who was watering a potted plant by the window, clicked her tongue and chided the dazed Ha-ra. Ha-ra shook her bewildered head before managing to reply.
“I didn't know you meant it like *that*…”
“If you didn't know what I meant, were you just going to go to the Magic Stone Management Division and answer everyone's questions?”
“I'm sorry…”
Chief Jeong Yu-jin had been certain that the half-witted employee from the Magic Stone Management Division wouldn't properly understand her instruction to ‘Come straight to my office as soon as you get to work.’ If she had any sense, she would have come to the Chief’s office through the back entrance. Otherwise, she'd just shamble in through the main doors.
That's why she'd deliberately ordered her secretary to stand guard at the main entrance. And just as the Chief had predicted, Ha-ra had been captured alive while shambling in.
“You've got a long way to go.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Why are you drinking something so cold this early in the morning?”
“Ah…”
Ha-ra’s eyes darted around. She probably shouldn't answer with, *‘Because I'm full of pent-up anger?’*
Fortunately, Chief Jeong didn't seem particularly interested in her answer.
“Just tell me properly about your ability.”
At the Chief's words, Ha-ra carefully began to speak. Thanks to her mistake with Yoon Se-heon yesterday, she was able to explain everything properly to Chief Jeong—the whole story, from before she entered the dungeon until after she came out.
When Ha-ra finished her explanation, the Chief, who had been listening intently while jotting everything down in a notebook, stroked her chin.
“Hmm.”
If Chief Jeong had asked, ‘What kind of crazy Constellation is that?’ Ha-ra was prepared to answer dramatically, ‘I know, right? It's completely insane!’
But Chief Jeong simply asked calmly.
“So, can you still use the flight ability now?”
“I know, right? It's totally… Ah, yes.”
Ha-ra, who had been about to shout, answered sheepishly.
Chief Jeong frowned, but she wasn't the type to waste time.
“Let's see your basic skill.”
She was talking about the candlelight.
Meaning, she wanted to see its power, so Ha-ra fumbled in her bag and pulled out a light stick.
Seeing the small, plastic light stick, Chief Jeong looked puzzled.
“What's that shabby thing?”
“…Well, it just sort of happened…”
*I know it's shabby, but hearing you say it like that hurts my feelings a little… Even though this is unofficial merch, the handful of Kwon Wook stans from that failed idol group worked hard to save up and do a group order for this…* She swallowed those words.
Instead, Ha-ra took off the cap and pushed the light all the way up.
“Whoa, it gets longer.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
Ha-ra carefully adjusted the angle and extended the light, taking into account its property of extending in a straight line so as not to break anything in the office. After it reached the wall, she explained.
“It can get even longer.”
“The thickness?”
“Uh, I haven't thought about that…”
Ha-ra thought for a moment before answering.
“I think I can do it.”
“Try it.”
At her words, Ha-ra grunted, “Hngh,” and strained. The light swelled slightly in volume, then snapped back.
“Are you trying to take a dump in the bathroom…”
Seeing the light shrink back to the diameter of Ha-ra's pinky finger, Chief Jeong clicked her tongue. Ha-ra laughed in embarrassment.
“You'll need to work on the output. If your ability is simply a lethal light, can't you shoot it from your hand?”
“Well, I think it's because I lack imagination. I seem to need a medium, basically.”
“It doesn't use batteries, does it?”
“No…”
Ha-ra had also tried various things back in the day. Could she produce light without the light stick? She could not.
It was a common issue. Hunters with good imaginations could use their abilities without a medium, but those who didn't struggled to do so.
It was only natural, since most Hunters in the Republic of Korea were forcibly awakened at the age of seventeen. It would be stranger if they could freely wield their abilities after a mechanical awakening without any innate talent or catalyst.
“Hmm. Then you'll have to try wielding something similar for now.”
The Chief's thoughtful gaze landed on the ceiling.
“Would something like that fluorescent light up there work?”
“I've never tried, so I'm not sure.”
“Well, this isn't my area of expertise. There's a guy who's good at this stuff, so I'll just ask him.”
A guy who's good at it? Ha-ra blinked. Just then, the phone in the Chief's office rang.
- Chief. Mr. Kwon Wook is here.
Kwon Wook? Ha-ra's eyes widened like saucers.
Chief Jeong answered nonchalantly.
“Yeah. Good timing. Send him in.”
*Is she crazy?* Ha-ra panicked, but the world didn't wait for her. The door flew open with a bang.
“Good morning!”
It was a face Ha-ra knew well.
Bright red dyed hair. A handsome face. A tall, well-built frame. One of the most famous Hunters in the Republic of Korea. Kwon Wook.
*‘Crazy, crazy, this is insane!’*
Ha-ra screamed internally. It was the real Kwon Wook.
In other words, Kang Ha-ra's ex-Oppa.
Of course, ‘ex-Oppa’ was just something she said. When her friends asked, ‘Do you still like Kwon Wook?’ she'd brush it off with, ‘Nah, not really, after he became a Hunter.’ But at home, she'd secretly watch videos of him.
The next moment, Ha-ra immediately hid her hands behind her back. Because of the light stick she was holding. She was worried Kwon Wook might recognize it.
Regardless, Chief Jeong greeted Kwon Wook nonchalantly.
“Oh, the punk's here.”
“Ah, Chief, you call me a punk every time you see me.”
“You should be grateful I don't call you a traitorous bastard.”
“Aish, a traitor? Who's a bigger suck-up to you than me, Chief? *Jingle, jingle.* I came running as soon as you called today, didn't I?”
Kwon Wook raised his hands to the sides of his face and wiggled his fingers like they were sparkling.
Chief Jeong snorted, then jerked her chin toward Ha-ra, who was still in a panic.
“You crazy bastard. Stop messing around and say hello.”
Only then did Kwon Wook look at Ha-ra sitting on the sofa and smile.
“Hello.”
It was the smile Ha-ra had seen so many times. She shot up from her seat without thinking and bowed her head in greeting.
“Ah, hello.”
“Aigo, you're so polite. Chief, is this the one?”
“Yeah, you punk.”
*The one?* Wondering what he meant, she looked at the Chief, and Chief Jeong gestured to Ha-ra with her chin.
“Kang Ha-ra, I'm putting you on external assignment for the time being. Report to Team K.”
“What?”
“Sangam-dong. I said, report to the Team K office.”
Team K. The dungeon raid team named after Kwon Wook. The government often formed dungeon raid teams for S-rank Hunters, and most of these teams were called by different names.
Since there were few S-rank Hunters, every team was famous, but Team K was the most well-known and popular among them. That was because Kwon Wook was a former idol, so the government frequently used Team K's dungeon raids as promotional content for the Hunter Bureau.
“No matter how I think about it, this guy is the only one I can entrust your problem to. It's truly a tragedy.”
“What are you talking about? That's just your way of saying I'm the only one you trust.”
Kwon Wook gave a gentle eye-smile and tried to link arms with Chief Jeong Yu-jin. The Chief clicked her tongue and shook him off.
“He may be a punk like this, but he'll be helpful to you.”
“He-he-helpful?”
“Yeah. For example, about your ability. Hand over that light stick or whatever it is. Hey, Wook-ah.”
Chief Jeong gestured. Kwon Wook also blinked and looked toward Ha-ra.
The next moment, Ha-ra yelled.
“Hyaa!”
“…What are you doing? Kang Ha-ra?”
“Ah, no.”
Ha-ra laughed, “Ahaha,” and held up the tip of the light stick she'd hidden behind her back.
“I'm sorry, but it seems to have broken in the meantime…?”
Of course, Kang Ha-ra's own hand had broken it, and she had desperately shoved the broken body of the light stick between the sofa cushions.
Surprised, Chief Jeong raised her thick eyebrows and approached Ha-ra.
“What? Why did it break? Look, are you hurt?”
“Aaaah! No! I'm perfectly fine!”
“It was plastic, wasn't it? Are you okay?”
Since the body of the light stick was plastic, it was only natural for Chief Jeong to worry about Ha-ra.
In response, Ha-ra shot to her feet and climbed right onto the sofa. Chief Jeong's face colored with bewilderment at her sudden, erratic behavior, but she pressed on, climbing onto the back of the sofa. However, she failed to reach the ceiling.
[Activating ‘Flight (S)’.]
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ is flustered. Here?]
It wasn't just the Constellation. Both Chief Jeong and Kwon Wook were flustered. After all, Ha-ra had suddenly flown up to the ceiling.
*‘Here?’ my ass!* With her social standing… no, with her unofficial merch about to be discovered by her ex-Oppa, Kang Ha-ra couldn't see anything else.
“I'm fine, Chief! I'll just try it with the fluorescent light— Ack, hot!”
Of course, just because she couldn't see anything else didn't mean the fluorescent light, which had been on the whole time, wasn't hot. Ha-ra dropped it without thinking. *Crash!* The fluorescent light fell to the floor and shattered.
“Ugh!”
“Aack! Chief, are you okay?!”
Naturally, the middle of the Chief's office—the sofa, the table, and the floor—became a complete mess.
Fortunately, both Chief Jeong and Kwon Wook, being renowned Hunters, dodged agilely, so no one was hurt.
“Hey, what is all this commotion!”
“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!”
Chief Jeong, dumbfounded, scolded Ha-ra, while Ha-ra tearfully apologized.
It was tough, trying to protect one's social standing.
