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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Conflicting Advice
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“Hey, when you get your compensation money, lend some of it to Ha-da.”
“Mom. I told you, I might not even get it.”
*As soon as Ha-da gets a job, I'll take his salary, save it up, and give it to you.* What Hyeon-sook said upon entering Ha-ra's room were utterly pointless words.
“And Mom, when my savings account matures, give it to me. I'm moving out.”
Ha-ra said, looking at Hyeon-sook.
Hyeon-sook furrowed her brow.
Back when Ha-ra was just starting her career, her mother took 800,000 won from her every month, saying that people needed to save diligently. The reason was that young people would just spend big sums of money right away.
“Hey, if a grown woman lives alone without getting married, people will talk. What do you mean, moving out? Just think of it as saving money and live here. Besides, Ha-da needs to get a job, too.”
Saving money? What a joke. After putting 800,000 won into savings and giving 500,000 won for living expenses, there was hardly anything left for Ha-ra.
Her mother wasn't even saying she'd stop taking the living expenses. She was saying all this because of Ha-da. Anyway, Hyeon-sook could never win when Ha-da threw a tantrum like that.
“No. I'm moving out.”
“Why are you so cold-hearted? I told you I'd get the money back for you.”
Get it back? Yeah, right. She knew how it would go. Knowing Kang Ha-da's personality, he'd just refuse to pay it back, and her mom would eventually say, ‘Just try to understand,’ and let it go. It wasn't the first or second time.
“Mom, to be blunt, he's the one who can't get a job, not me. So why do I have to help him?”
As soon as she said it, she thought, *oops*. But it was too late. At her words, Hyeon-sook's eyes sharpened.
“You wouldn't know, since you got a job right after graduating!”
“…”
“Hey, forget it. Acting so nasty over a measly savings account. I'm so tired, because of you two.”
It was absurd. It wasn't just her mom who was tired. *I'm exhausted too, so why do I have to come home and listen to this…* As Ha-ra rubbed her eyes, she heard the front door open. It was her father, Jae-pil.
At the sound of ‘I'm home,’ her mother put a finger to her lips, signaling that what they'd just talked about was a secret from her father.
*Seriously, if that's the case, just keep it a secret from me too…*
Despite her thoughts, both Ha-ra and her mother went out to greet him before returning. ‘Ha-da, that brat! His father is home and he doesn't even come out to say hello!’ his booming voice echoed from the living room.
If she stayed up with the lights on any longer, it seemed like Jae-pil would just come in and nag her, so Ha-ra quickly went to wash up. After her shower, she returned to her room to find a text message. It was from her supervisor, Yu-jeong.
Only then did Ha-ra realize that even though she'd gone to work for the first time in a while today, she hadn't even said hello to Yu-jeong. They had exchanged a few texts while she was in the hospital, but she had said she was coming in today and then never showed up at the office. It was natural for Yu-jeong to be worried.
- Heard you were discharged. Did you quit the company too?
The moment she called, Yu-jeong answered, her tone deliberately sharp. Ha-ra burst out laughing.
“I'm sorry, Gwalligwan-nim. I was all over the place…”
- I heard. The chief gave you a few days off because of the aftereffects from the dungeon, right?
*So that's the story.* Ha-ra confirmed what Yu-jeong said.
- Ah, so you won't be coming to work for a while?
Her tone wasn't so much disappointed as it was hesitant. Ha-ra tilted her head.
“Why do you ask?”
- Why? Because I'm bored to death without you, Ha-ra. I have no one to complain about my kid's dad to.
Yu-jeong's voice, laced with laughter, came through the phone. Ha-ra let out a small chuckle.
Still, Yu-jeong was the only person in the Magic Stone Management Division to whom Ha-ra could confide her true feelings. Perhaps it was possible because their work wasn't directly connected.
Yu-jeong, who had transferred from another branch, was quick and competent, but she was the subject of endless gossip for being a divorced mother.
They became close after Yu-jeong happened to overhear Ha-ra, unable to stand it any longer, timidly telling the gossipers, ‘Please don't do that.’
“It's the same for me. I have no one to complain about Kang Ha-da to.”
- What about Kang Ha-da?
“That damn hairline procedure. He's still asking to borrow money.”
- Isn't he crazy? He doesn't need to fix his hairline, he should just have all his hair pulled out.
“Ahaha.”
Thanks to Yu-jeong's satisfying cursing, Ha-ra felt a bit better.
- Your mom's still at it, isn't she?
“What's there to say? She told me to lend him the dungeon compensation money if I get it.”
- Good grief. I bet the scrapes you got in the dungeon haven't even healed yet.
Yu-jeong clicked her tongue.
- So when are you coming back?
“I don't know. I don't think I'll be able to come in for a while.”
- Do you have to take a long break? The section chief is going to flip.
At the mention of the section chief, who would often berate Ha-ra for being foolish, Ha-ra just said, “Ah.” She had been so out of it lately that she hadn't even thought about the section chief.
“Let him curse, whatever.”
- Ooh, look at Kang Ha-ra, all tough. Did your guts awaken in the dungeon or something?
A soft laugh escaped her. She probably wouldn't be able to go to work at the Mapo branch anymore.
She didn't feel sad about it. The atmosphere on Hunter Blind, where they belittled her as a ‘total loser,’ was telling enough. There were many good people at the Mapo branch, but there were also many who looked down on and mocked E-Ranks like her.
She just felt sorry that she couldn't properly explain the situation to Yu-jeong. To Ha-ra, she was like an older sister.
After hanging up, she lay down and checked her phone, finding it full of messages asking how she was. There were messages she had answered and messages she hadn't.
She'd been discharged but hadn't returned to the branch office, so the people there were probably already buzzing with talk. A few were already prying about what had happened. It was more like an investigation into her current status disguised as concern for her well-being.
‘For now, let's just finish the training.’
Chief Jeong had told her to keep her mouth shut, but Ha-ra had no idea what to do. There wasn't a single thing she could comfortably talk about.
“Don't worry about things like that.”
Kwon Wook's words also came to mind. He had answered that way when she asked him during a short break in the afternoon.
“I'm going to help you awaken as an S-Rank, Ha-ra. The fact that Chief Jeong entrusted you to me means he wants me to help you, after all.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Yes. Once you awaken as an S-Rank, your connections with ordinary people will become as if they never existed anyway. Opening your mouth now won't help you one bit.”
Ha-ra's eyes widened.
“Will it really be like that? But Gwalligwan-nim Yu-jeong and I are really close…”
Privately, they were like sisters. She wanted to at least tell Yu-jeong that some things had come up and she would be undergoing training.
But Kwon Wook shook his head firmly.
“You can do that later, after you become an S-Rank. People's attitudes change depending on your rank anyway. Once you're an S-Rank, all you have to do is ask for their understanding, and that'll be the end of it.”
There was no emotion mixed in his words.
Ha-ra found herself staring at Kwon Wook. The man who had gone from being a ‘failed idol’ that no one paid attention to, to suddenly becoming an S-Rank.
For some reason, she felt a pang of sympathy for him.
Kwon Wook, as if sensing her thoughts with uncanny precision, smiled.
“Is an E-Rank pitying me right now? If you have time for that, get up so we can train.”
The conversation had ended with her pleading, ‘Ugh, please let me rest a little longer.’
Returning home and thinking it over, she realized he must have had his own hardships.
And yet, she recalled how he had changed the subject with a smile devoid of any regret, saying, ‘You have to get deeply involved with Yoon Se-heon to become an S-Rank, right? I'll help you, so you have to help our team later.’
Ha-ra rolled over and stared at her phone. So many messages. Would people really understand everything if she became an S-Rank? Would their attitudes change on a whim?
Suddenly, she thought of Yoon Se-heon, the man who said he had a girlfriend.
Would he be like that too? Much later, if she explained, *Actually, I had to date you because of a quest to become an S-Rank…* would he laugh and say, ‘Ahaha, is that so?’ and understand?
“Haha. You must be joking.”
There was a time when Ha-ra would have jumped out of bed in the middle of the night if Kwon Wook said so.
A time when she would stay up all night studying, finding deep meaning in his simple comments like ‘Be careful not to catch a cold’ or ‘Study hard.’
But strangely, in this moment, she couldn't bring herself to believe Kwon Wook's words. For some reason, she felt certain that Yoon Se-heon wouldn't understand… She didn't know why, but she was sure of it.
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ says that once you fall in love, you'll understand everything.]
Just as she was about to close her eyes, the Constellation chimed in. Ha-ra narrowed her eyes.
“Be quiet. You're the one who didn't even know if he had a girlfriend or not.”
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ protests that it cannot carelessly look into the information of an ordinary person.]
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’ is afraid that its meteor might end her life as an E-Rank at this rate.]
Afraid of that? I've lived my whole life that way.
Ha-ra felt resentful.
“Why don't you get a taste of the fear of an E-Rank life.”
But it was better to get some sleep than to pick a fight with the Constellation. *Ah, whatever.* Ha-ra closed her eyes. She had to wake up at 6 AM and leave tomorrow, too.
[The Constellation ‘Cupid’…]
The Constellation's message flickered behind her eyelids.
She was tired. She didn't particularly want to see it. Ha-ra drifted off to sleep just like that.
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The administrative capital, Sejong City.
Like any government agency, the Hunter Bureau's main office was in Sejong City. Some say Pangyo is bright even at dawn, but Sejong City was the true immortal city where the lights never went out. This was, of course, due to the civil servants working overtime.
As a result, there were plenty of nearby restaurants that stayed open until the early morning.
Kwon Wook was sitting in the innermost room of one such Japanese restaurant. And across from him, a smiling, middle-aged woman.
The Deputy Chief of the Hunter Bureau. Park Young-hee.
Despite being 50, she looked to be around 40, possessing a youthful face. It was 1 AM. She should have been tired, but her eyes were clear.
“Aren't you tired?”
“My day is just getting started. After I eat, I have to go up and write a report. Our Chief is about to arrive.”
“That's incredible. You should have at least ordered something else, then.”
Her chopsticks moved lightly. Park Young-hee wrapped a piece of white fish sashimi in water dropwort, dipped it lightly in soy sauce, and popped it into her mouth. After swallowing, she let out a small smile.
“I'm sick of it too. But what can I do? The Chief bought a book of meal tickets for this place and hasn't come in months. So who's going to use them?”
“You could just use them for a staff dinner or something.”
“The value isn't quite enough for that. It's better to just eat quickly and get it over with.”
It was no exaggeration to say that Deputy Chief Park Young-hee was the de facto mistress of the Hunter Bureau's main office.
Since the Bureau Chiefs typically spent their days in Seoul before coming down to Sejong in the evening, it was none other than Deputy Chief Park Young-hee who ran the main office in Sejong.
As someone who had awakened as an E-Rank and climbed all the way to Deputy Chief, she was famous for looking after the Hunter Bureau with great care, and she was well-respected.
Given the unique nature of the Hunter Bureau compared to other agencies, the very fact that she had risen to Deputy Chief as an E-Rank was a testament to her capabilities.
Kwon Wook was well aware that this elegant Deputy Chief before him was someone who had frequented all sorts of places, from the Blue House to the Prosecutor's Office.
“How did you get here?”
“How else? I teleported.”
“You must have come alone.”
Team K had a teleporter. Someone who could instantly move themself or others, as long as they knew the coordinates.
However, he had come here alone, which meant he would have to take the KTX or something to get back.
“It's too late for the KTX.”
“I'll have to take a taxi, I guess.”
Most people would have felt sorry for him. But the Deputy Chief's expression didn't change one bit as she chided Kwon Wook.
“Hey. If you're going to travel, do it round-trip together. We get grilled at the national audit every time, you know? They ask why we're spending so much on transportation when we have a teleporter.”
“You're the one who doesn't like having company.”
“You can just have the teleporter wait outside and come in by yourself, kid. Then again, it's a bit much to have a meal while leaving them out, right? Well, you could just tell them to eat in the main hall.”
When the Deputy Chief laughed, Kwon Wook laughed along with her.
“Alright, so. She's an S-Rank, but still only halfway there?”
She was talking about Kang Ha-ra. As the Deputy Chief casually got to the point, Kwon Wook nodded nonchalantly.
